Bapst blanks Bangor Freeman, Tilton spark Crusaders

BANGOR – Scrappy play keyed the John Bapst field hockey team Monday evening.

The Crusaders scored two first-half goals 1 minute, 13 seconds apart – both off scrambles and defensive misplays in front of the goal – for a 3-0 victory over Bangor at the Penobscot Job Corps field.

It was coach Gina Schuck’s second game on the bench since giving birth to her second son, Jack, last Tuesday.

Senior Ashley Freeman was credited with two goals for the Crusaders, who move to 5-1, but Freeman didn’t actually score Bapst’s first goal. She did, however, keep the ball alive after a long hit from the sideline and then Christina Andrle’s pass to get the ball in front of the goal.

That goal came with 8:32 left in the first half. Andrle followed up a little more than a minute later as she finally got the ball in on a scramble as Bangor goalie Sarah Frisk and another defensive player were on the ground. Meagan Tilton, who also assisted on Freeman’s second goal, poked the ball over to Andrle to set up the shot.

“She flipped it up into the goal and it was a lucky one,” Freeman said of Andrle’s goal. “You have to fight and that’s the biggest thing. Everyone has to get their sticks in there and trying to get it in. That was a very good goal. It’s all about the rebounds, off the pads.”

The Crusaders outshot their in-town rivals 15-3 and had 13 penalty corners to three for Bangor, but Bapst wasn’t able to capitalize on any of its breakaways or crossing passes.

“I think that’s one of the main things we have to work on,” said senior midfielder Marci Scofield. “We have to get some of those pretty goals and take advantage of the opportunities we get.”

Freeman is almost fully recovered from a scary accidental high-sticking incident during overtime of a Sept. 3 game against Mattanawcook of Lincoln. She needed six stitches and missed two weeks of the season after the stick sliced into her knee.

“I’m a little sore but nothing to affect the game,” said Freeman, who missed two games.

Bangor, a program which has struggled over the years, falls to 0-6. But the Rams can be pleased with their midfield play in not letting Bapst’s speedy front-line players break loose.

“[Bapst has] speed and they have hard hits so you have to adjust quickly when they get free hits so they don’t send it all the way up the field,” Bangor coach Lisa Conley said. “They had to fight for it.”

Bangor’s Jennie Foley almost got free after Erin Johnson passed the ball up to her with about 19 minutes left in the second half, but the Bapst defense was able to clear the ball without trouble.

“The backs did a really good job of stepping up and taking the ball away,” Scofield said. “We’ve been working on that in practice a lot, and that’s why I think [Bangor] didn’t have a lot of odd-man rushes.”

John Bapst goalie Hillary Laferriere made two saves and Frisk had seven saves.