The Mount went ahead in the second half of Saturday's game when junior Megan Maransky fired this shot and the ball was directed into the cage at close range by sophomore Campbell Donovan. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

In the second week of September, Mount St. Joseph Academy's field hockey squad faced its most challenging three-game stretch of the season thus far, as the Magic played two of their toughest league opponents and one formidable non-league rival.

The Mount entered the week with a 4-0 record, then suffered its first loss with a 4-1 setback at the hands of an Association of Catholic Academies rival, Merion Mercy Academy. That Tuesday tilt was followed two days later by a meeting with defending league and District 1 champion Villa Maria. The road game proceeded into overtime and the Magic pulled out a 2-1 victory, their first over the Hurricanes since the 2012 season.

Another OT exercise followed on Saturday, but this time, the visiting Mounties came out on the losing end, succumbing 4-3 at Conestoga High School.

Also on Saturday, a Merion Mercy squad coached by Penn Charter alumna Margaretha Ehret remained the undefeated Catholic Academies leader by beating Villa, 3-1.

Daunting opposition inside and outside of the AACA will help toughen Mount St. Joe for the playoffs, according to second-year head coach Sue Wentzel.

"We pick teams like this to play outside of our league because it's only going to make us better," she said after the Conestoga game. "I wish we'd have won, but I'm not unhappy. I think we played well."

The lead changed hands several times in regulation, with the Mount first on the board with 10:54 elapsed in the first half. On a penalty corner, the Magic inserted the ball toward the top of the circle, and senior Rory Williamson banged it down into the Pioneers' backboard.

Last year, Williamson committed to play for Dartmouth College and current junior Megan Maransky made a verbal commitment to Duke University. Earlier this season, another MSJ junior, Meghan McGinley, committed to the University of Pennsylvania.

Just two minutes after the Mount opened the scoring on Saturday, Conestoga came up the pitch in transition and Annie Hirshman tied it up for the Berwyn bunch.

On a corner just a minute or so after that, the Magic passed the ball around the circle and then prodded it toward the cage, but a Conestoga back stopped the ball on the goal line.

The Pioneers then took a 2-1 lead with 15:12 remaining. From close range in the right side of the circle, the ball was chipped toward the goal and before the Magic could clear it away from near the left post, Chloe Ziegler closed in to score for the Pioneers.

Magic sophomore Campbell Donovan (dark uniform) tries to maneuver around Conestoga's Sofia Ries. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

With the clock down to 8:15, the visitors pulled even when Maransky deposited a reverse-stick shot from the middle of the circle. A minute later, Conestoga sent a hard drive in at the Magic goal, but the ball was turned away by sophomore keeper Alyssa Brachelli (seven saves).

It was still 2-2 at the intermission, then, a little over four minutes into the second half, Mount St. Joe took the lead for the last time. Maransky got off a good whack at the cage from the right side of the circle, and sophomore Campbell Donovan (a Norwood-Fontbonne Academy alum) was in position to direct the ball into the goal.

Four minutes after that, Ziegler responded with her second strike for the Pioneers, tying the match at 3-3 with over 20 minutes left to play. Down around the 10-minute mark, Conestoga attacked steadily. On one advance along the left endline, the Mount's Brachelli kicked the ball back out, and then senior back Haley Cliggett cleared the ball off the goal line during another sequence.

Conestoga kept up the pressure as time wound down. Mount St. Joseph survived a penalty card that kept it shorthanded from 3:39 to 1:39, and the game proceeded into overtime.

Starting out the extra session for the Mount along with Brachelli were Cliggett, Donovan, Maransky, Williamson, Meghan McGinley and her twin sister, Erin. The Magic weathered two Conestoga corners, but then the end came on a transition sequence with 11:53 on the clock in the 15-minute sudden-victory OT. The Pioneers got the ball though to freshman Kate Galica on a charge into the left side of the circle. One-on-one with Brachelli, Galica waited until the keeper had to advance out of the cage and then shot the ball past her.

"In overtime, one short moment decides the outcome, and today we were on the wrong side of it," Wentzel reflected. "Give them credit, they have some fast girls to break in with the ball and get shots off."

The Mount coaching staff had been dealing with some personnel changes during the week. Two players had suffered injuries, and on Saturday, junior veteran Katie McCallum was unable to play due to an academic conflict.

Getting over the initial disappointment at Saturday's outcome, the Magic could still contemplate their overtime contest at Villa Maria in the middle of the week with pleasure.

The Hurricanes, who'd beaten the Mount three times last season (overcoming a two-goal deficit in one game), held a 1-0 lead at halftime on Thursday, but Williamson tied it up for the Magic in the second half and the teams battled into overtime. Rain began to fall during the proceedings.

"I think we sort of capitalized on the rain," Wentzel said. "I think they got a little frazzled, and we stayed composed. Of course, Megan Maransky is an ace in the hole. If we can get her the ball, she's a finisher."

Maransky herself picked up the tale, modestly describing the key overtime sequence.

"Erin McGinley had a great interception on the left sideline, and she dumped the ball forward to me," Maransky said. "I was coming from the center, and I did a left pull and then shot."

It was nice to snap the long string of Villa victories over the Mount, but with their highly competitive schedule, the Magic would have to refocus quickly. This week's agenda includes a league showdown with Gwynedd Mercy Academy and a road trip to take on traditional Wilkes Barre power Wyoming Seminary.