More than just an opportunity to win the first conference tournament title under the VHSL’s new playoff alignment, Tuesday’s Conference 25 championship game provided a chance for York field hockey coach Taylor Janus to put her program on the map.
Oh, and also to secure a first-round home game in next week’s region tournament.
The Falcons did all of the above thanks to a sound all-around performance in shutting out Poquoson 2-0 at Poquoson Middle School for the title.
Both teams were coming off emotional overtime victories in the semifinals — York edged Lafayette 2-1 while Poquoson outlasted Warhill 3-2 — so the idea, Janus said, was to jump on the Islanders early and steal the momentum.
Freshman Jordyn Keller provided that early offensive spark with a pair of first-half goals, which proved to be a good enough cushion for York’s bend-but-don’t-break defense that got standout efforts from senior captain Lauren Carter and always-reliable keeper Kealsie Robles.
“We played really well,” Janus said after the game. “We wanted home field advantage [in regionals] and we got it. This builds morale not just for our team but for the school, too, I think. It’s nice to get the spotlight every once in a while.”
Both of the Falcons’ two first-half goals were a product of excellent stick work and passing.
York (15-2) outshot Poquoson 16-4 during the first 30 minutes and finally put one in the back of the cage midway through the half. Sophomore Bentley Zabicki maneuvered nicely through the circle before firing a shot across goal that Keller swatted into the back of the cage.
Moments later, Poquoson saw its only quality scoring chance of the opening half after earning a corner, but Robles made a pair of nice kick saves in goal to thwart the threat.
With a little more than 10 minutes to play before halftime, terrific ball work in the midfield led to York’s second score. Alexa Weaver broke down the left side of the field and inside the circle before slotting a pass to the middle where Keller was there again to punch it in.
“That’s what happens when we connect on our passes,” Janus said. “We try to transition quickly to offset the other team, and that’s exactly what happened on that second goal.”
“It gave us a good cushion,” Janus added of Keller’s second score that gave the Falcons a 2-0 halftime lead. “But this late in the season, you never want to let up.”
And the Falcons didn’t.
Keller, Zabicki and Weaver continued to attack with relentless pressure while the defense, most notably Carter, prevented the Islanders from possessing the ball deep inside the circle.
The Islanders earned five of their six corners during the second half but only managed to put two shots on goal.
Robles finished with six saves for York while her counterpart, Poquoson’s Leslie Speight, made 20 stops in goal.
The Falcons will host Eastern View in the opening round of the region tournament Monday. The Islanders will travel to Chancellor.
