Kennard-Dale had a bunch of ball carriers in its game against Dover, which translated into several goals.
It went so well that the Rams were able to score 8. But the Eagles didn’t allow a shutout. At the end of the day, it was 8-2 Kennard-Dale.
That’s a good confidence booster for the Rams since they are up against YAIAA powerhouse Susquehannock Friday, Oct. 6.
“I know we started off a little rough at first, but after the first quarter, we definitely talked about giving quick passes to keep the ball moving,” said junior Cassidy Dietz. “And I feel like that’s how we got down to the goal.”
Dietz had a hat-trick as well as an assist to teammate Maddie Davidson in the first quarter.
“We just talked about transitioning the ball from each side,” said junior Caroline Gamache, who had two goals in the game. “I think it worked best when we communicated and talked a lot on the field because we weren’t bunched up and we were all working well together.”
Gamache scored in the first and third quarters.
Kennard-Dale scored in each quarter. But the highlight reel should have been a recording of the second half.
“I was excited,” Dietz said, who scored two of her three goals in that half. “Especially on the second one, my teammate Haleigh (Hinshaw) had a perfect give-and-go, and she had a pass right in front of the goal so I could just sweep it in.”
Another of the five total goal scorers for Kennard-Dale was junior Margo Channell. When the Rams earned a stroke just 30 seconds from halftime, Channell stepped up to take it.
“I just thought don’t miss this,” said Channell. “My team is counting on me, and this could be really good if I make it.”
Channell, who is now 2 for 2 with strokes this season, ripped her shot past the goalie’s kicker into the bottom left of the cage.
“Before I take it, I always think, ‘Going bottom left. That’s where it’s going.’ And then I just sent it hard.”
Scoring problems were a real for Kennard-Dale’s, head coach Anna Colvin said.
“I mean, they’re goal-scorers,” she said. “That’s something our program struggled with for a couple years. We couldn’t finish, and now we can finally finish, so it’s something that we worked really hard on and that these girls have figured out how to do really well.”
Kennard-Dale’s first-quarter action was rough, but the Rams turned it around to get momentum in the remaining three quarters.
“We came out a little flat,” Colvin said, agreeing with Dietz. “Last time we had a much easier start with them. After we kind of reconvened, they chilled out a little bit and started playing their game, so they got rid of the nerves. (Dover) fought really hard, and we, I think, weren’t expecting that.”
Heading into the game, Dover’s goals were redemption and unity. The last time Dover saw the Rams they fell 9-0, said Dover head coach Heather Ensor. This time, they were able to score 2.
The Eagles have only one win on the season against York County School of Technology, but that hasn’t stopped them from playing as a unit and encouraging each other to give it their all.
“As we move the ball up the field together just being one instead of being 11 separately, that was our plan the entire game,” Ensor said. “And we, I think, did very well looking that way. We’re a big family, and we always make sure that we all know each other is our family and we’re always there for each other.”
The Eagles came out with a fire in the second quarter, scoring a goal 22 seconds after the starting whistle and then another five minutes later. But they were unable to rally after that.
Kennard-Dale and Dover play in Division II of the York-Adams (YAIAA) conference. Kennard-Dale ranks third in the standings with an 8-5 record overall (6-3 in division), and Dover sits in last with a 1-11 record overall (0-7 in division).
Rams: 8
- Goals – Dietz (3), Gamache (2), Channell (1) Davidson (1), Eaton (1)
- Assists – Dietz (1) Fornoff (1)
- Penalty Corners – 11
Eagles: 2
- Goals – Snelbaker (1), Polizzotto (1)
- Assists – 0
- Penalty Corners – 9
