Norwood hockey edged in final, 2-1

by TOM UTESCHER

A 3-0 semifinal win over Waldron Academy early last week put the Norwood Fontbonne field hockey team into the Girls Catholic Academies League championship game for the first time in seven years. Late in the first half of Friday's final at Rosemont College, Norwood seemed on the verge of claiming the crown when seventh grader Colleen Caldwell scored to give the Bears a 1-0 edge over two-time defending champion Gwynedd Mercy.

Gwynedd's roster includes eighth grader Julia Reinprecht, whose older sisters, Sarah and Katie, are standout players for Mount St. Joseph Academy. The older Reinprecht siblings captured the AACA title last month, and in Friday's game a bundled up crowd at Rosemont saw Julia seize her own league championship as the Mustangs rallied in the second period for a 2-1 victory.

Norwood's Caldwell had also scored in the regular-season tilt between the two teams, which ended in a 1-1 stalemate. In other matches, Gwynedd tied Rosemont and Norwood tied Villa Maria, and each team won all of its other GCAL games to finish 5-0-2 in the regular season.

The weather was sunny, but cold and blustery for last Friday's final. Norwood enjoyed a modest advantage in ball control in the first half, as indicated by the four corners taken by the Bears versus two for Gwynedd. Powerful midfield drives by Lauren Wood helped NFA get into the circle, and on one corner hit out by Libby Hill, Norwood crowded around the right post for several shots but couldn't beat Mustangs' keeper Carly Smart.

That changed with 2:04 left in the first half, when Caldwell powered in a shot from ten yards out in the middle of the circle, setting the Bears up with a 1-0 advantage at the intermission.

Gwynedd regrouped at halftime and took the play to Norwood's end for much of the second period. The Mustangs made a rush at the left post just a few minutes in, but NFA's Liz Tucker got the ball on her stick and dribbled it back outside. Shooting from the right side of the circle, Gwynedd's Meghan Maguire tied the match with four minutes elapsed in the second round.

The Mustangs almost moved ahead about three minutes later, but Caldwell cleared the ball off of the Bears' goal line.

With a little over 16 minutes remaining, a Gwynedd corner produced a strong shot by Maguire, and NFA keeper Molly Southwell made a kick save on the ball. The Mustangs eventually came up with the winning goal with 7:21 left to play. The ball was driven down at the right post and then was knocked along in front of the cage towards the left upright, where Emily Valeo slapped it in.

With the clock down to 6:40 Norwood earned its first corner of the half (Gwynedd had six in the period), but a shot that came out of a crowd of players in front hit the outside of the goalcage on the left. The Mustangs would hold on for the victory, and their third straight championship.