Boiling Springs field hockey is on a six-game winning streak.
The reason: trust.
Boiling Springs shutout an improved Middletown program Monday. The final score was 13-0. The Bubblers, 6-0, remain undefeated, and Middletown moved to 1-5-1.
Senior Genna Bush scored the first and sixth goals, which marked a personal milestone. Bush attained 100 points in her high school career as a Bubbler.
“I was trying to hold back (in my last game),” she said. “I wanted it to be in my home environment. Today wasn’t a night game, but I just thought it would be really, cool to have it on our home field.”
Despite celebrating her own achievement, she said she didn’t want to make the game all about her.
“I feel like this year, we have a very, very, strong team,” Bush said. “I’m having the best senior year and I’m trying to make it last as long as I can.”
Boiling Springs isn’t having a hard time finding the cage. They’ve tallied 56 goals in six games. And every goal is being celebrated, said Bubblers Head Coach Kortney Showers.
“We started out even stronger than we did last year,” she said.
The team has avoided directly talking about the postseason, although it’s an unspoken given, she said.
“We want to be there, but we don’t want to look too far ahead,” Showers said. “We’re taking each game and celebrating every goal and every win.”
One of several observations that can be noted about the Bubblers – they’re having fun. They’re taking risky shots. They’re positioning at post and looking for the tip. They’re laughing and smiling. And they are keeping their coach on her toes.
“I’ve kind of been impressed with their passing,” she said. “It’s all over the field and sometimes I don’t know where they are going to pass.
“I think they’re so comfortable with each other at this point. They’ve been playing together for so long. They were all starters last year, so they know where each other is and they have this deep level of trust.”
Middletown doesn’t have the same depth. But the Blue Raiders were able to dominate a few minutes of play in scoring position in the first and fourth quarters. They held the Bubblers to only two goals in the first and three in the fourth.
Had they kept up that level of intensity, it could’ve been a different outcome. Defensively, Emma Dupes, who had 24 saves in the game, tried her hardest to turn on beast mode.
The Blue Raiders were 1-17 overall last season. The program is under new leadership. First-year Head Coach Cindy Raney and her husband Nat are working to instill creativity, communication, and confidence. The Raneys believe their girls can become strong hockey players.
Boiling Springs has a deep bench, where less experienced players are earning playing time. That time benefits the Bubblers program going forward.
Also scoring in Monday’s contest were Reese Hayes, Lexy Boyle, Lexi Hanlin, Alex Bandura, Reagan Eickhoff, Shae Bennett, Hailey Lenker, and Olivia Heyman.
Boiling Springs is already planning on how to manage their conference games against Susquehanna Twp. and Bishop McDevitt, as well as non-conference game against Greenwood.
“I think we’ve been doing very good,” Bush said. “Our passing is our strength. Sometimes we get yelled at because we’re non-verbal. We just know where each other are. We’re just really excited to play this season.”
Bubblers: 13
- Goals – Bush (2), Hays (1), Boyle (1), Hanlin (3), Bandura(1), Eickhoff (2), Bennett (1), Lenker (1), Heyman (1)
- Assists – Bennett (2), Boyle (1), Eickhoff (3), Hays (1),Bandura (1)
- Shots – 39
- Corners – 19
- Saves – 0
Blue Raiders: 0
- Goals – 0
- Assists – 0
- Shots – 0
- Corners – 0
- Saves – Dupes (24)
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