Ask anyone who follows Bay Rivers field hockey closely, and they’ll tell you there’s as much parity in the district this season as there’s been in any of recent years.
While Tuesday’s district tournament semifinals shed some light on that belief, it also proved that the two historically best programs are still on top.
Six-time defending Bay Rivers regular-season champion Tabb, which defeated York 3-0 in the first of two semifinals at Tabb High Tuesday, will square off in Thursday’s final against nemesis Grafton, which edged Bruton 1-0 in overtime in the nightcap.
It will be the fifth-straight season Tabb and Grafton, the reigning Group AA state finalists, will decide the tournament championship.
“Both teams really pushed us during the regular season, so no matter who we play, it should be a great battle to send us into regionals,” Tabb coach Wendy Wilson said after her Tigers (18-0, 11-0 BRD) overcame a valiant effort from a York club eager to prolong its season.
After Grafton (12-3, 9-2 BRD) narrowly escaped Bruton to assure a fifth-straight tournament title showdown between the two perennial state powers, Clippers’ coach Brooke Feiner said, “It should be a lot of fun as always.”
Group Effort Powers Tabb Past York, Into Tournament Final
Lauren Mitcham scored the first goal of the game and assisted the second to help Tabb build a 2-0 lead at halftime, which proved to be more than enough as the top-seeded Tigers held on to beat number four York 3-0 in the first of two semifinals at Tabb High Tuesday.
Mitcham was one of several Tabb players who stepped up in the effort. Taylor Omweg also finished with a goal and an assist while Alison Harmatz (2 assists) had a hand in all three of the Tigers’ goals.
“I’m proud of the girls,” Tabb coach Wendy Wilson said. “It was a good group effort. Our ultimate goal is states, but you have to take one game at a time.”
Twelve corners and 22 shots on goal explain Tabb’s dominance in the first half, but exceptional play in goal by York keeper Kelsie Robles helped keep the Falcons in it. Elise Watt and Trevor Canipe were forces on the Falcons’ back line, too.
Tabb’s first goal came via a heads-up play from senior star Alison Harmatz. On what appeared to be a free hit for York, Harmatz sneaked in and stole the ball before rushing into the circle and being awarded a penalty corner.
On the ensuing set piece, Harmatz crossed the ball from the right side across goal, which found an open Mitcham who swatted in the go-ahead score.
With just under two minutes left in the half and the score still 1-0, Omweg took a pass from Mitcham off a corner and blasted a line-drive shot from roughly seven yards out on the left side that rattled the back of the cage, extending the Tigers’ lead to 2-0 at the half.
Morgan Ames pushed Tabb’s lead to 3-0 with 15 minutes left in regulation on an assist from both Omweg and Harmatz.
Alexa Weaver led a strong push for York over the final 10 minutes, which pleased Falcons’ first-year coach Taylor Janus.
“I was really excited to see our girls not let up and fight until the end,” Janus said after the game. “Last time we played Tabb I think we gave in a little at the end, but we definitely played the type of hockey that we know all game long.
“Tabb’s a great team and we showed a lot of improvement. I’m not disappointed with the results at all.”
Maunz’s Goal Lifts Grafton Past Bruton in OT
After a grueling 60 minutes of back-and-forth hockey produced a scoreless tie at the end of regulation, it took Grafton all of 10 minutes to push a goal through in overtime.
The third-seeded Clippers knocked off second ranked Bruton 1-0 in extra time Tuesday to avenge a 1-0 loss to the Panthers earlier this season and claim their annual spot with Tabb in the district-tournament championship.
After the game went to a sudden death seven-on-seven extra period, Grafton’s speed and athleticism overwhelmed an exhausted Bruton defense. The Clippers earned six corners in the first 10 minutes of overtime to Bruton’s one.
It seemed only a matter of time before Grafton would strike, and with 4:19 left in the first of two 15-minute extra periods, the Clippers’ Kaylee Maunz flicked home Alice Grace Cherry’s initial shot to end the tightly contested affair.
“We were basically just hitting the ball downfield trying to go on a run,” Maunz said after the game. “We knew we had the speed to outrun them and we were finally able to get a goal. Alice Grace Cherry did what she was supposed to by putting a shot on goal and I was able to flick it in.
“We’re so excited,” Maunz added of getting another shot at unbeaten Tabb in Thursday’s championship. “We lost 2-0 last time and felt like it was a close game. We definitely have more confidence this time.”
A victory on Thursday would be Grafton’s second tournament title in three seasons, and assure the Clippers (12-3) a home game in round one of next week’s Region I tournament. Bruton (17-2) already guaranteed itself a first-round home game next Monday following a second-place finish during the regular season, the highest in program history.
Bay Rivers District Tournament Championship
Who: #1 Tabb (18-0) vs.
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, October 25
Where: Tabb High School
