Quick strike Cougars

Schalick’s attacking style rewarded with quick goals at the start of each half in sectional field hockey opener

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I
First-round games
Haddon Twp. at Salem, Fri., 2 p.m.
Maple Shade at Woodstown, Fri., 2 p.m.
Gateway at Collingswood, Fri., 2 p.m.
Middle Twp. at Audubon, Fri., 2 p.m.
Schalick 3, Bordentown 0
Gloucester 5, Lower Cape May 0
Florence 6, New Egypt 0
Second-round games
Haddon Twp.-Salem winner at West Deptford
Woodstown-Maple Shade vs. Gateway-Collingswood
Middle Twp.-Audubon vs. Schalick
Gloucester at Florence

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE — If you were late getting to your seat at the start of Schalick’s South Jersey Group I playoff opener or getting back to it at the start of the second half, you missed a lot of the home team’s scoring Thursday.

The Cougars came out fast at the start of each half and rode that momentum to a 3-0 victory over Bordentown.

Proving they mean business in this year’s playoffs, the Cougars scored just over a minute into the match and extended their lead with a goal 30 seconds into the third quarter.

“The girls are pumped up,” Cougars coach Heather Cheesman said. “We always try to go out with intensity and be the aggressors and have pressure on goal constantly. 

“We’ve always been a second half team, but this team’s different. This team is not like that. I’ve been coaching 10 years now and Schalick has always been a second half team, but this team is different.”

Leading scorer Phoebe Alward announced the Cougars’ presence in the playoffs. The fans sitting across the way hardly settled into their seats when the sophomore banged home a cross from Ava Scurry 62 seconds into the match. It was her 16^th goal of the season, a surprising number to her that matches her jersey number.

Cheesman couldn’t ever remember scoring that quickly to open a game, regular season or playoffs.

“I was excited,” she said. “I like getting the first goal because it gets them pumped up. They were excited.”

Scurry gave the Cougars a 2-0 lead when she scored with 2:46 left in the first half. It was her 12^th goal, to go with 16 assists.

“I knew this could have been our last game because the playoffs are single elimination,” Scurry said. “So I put it all out there and tried to do what was best for the team.”

Lucy Virga didn’t waste any time when the teams came out the break. She got the Cougars’ third goal being “in the right place at the right time” to bang home a rebound 30 seconds into the second half.

“Our plan is to come out really strong and just not let up after any restart,” Scurry said.

The Cougars, the sixth seed, now play the winner of today’s Middle Twp.-Audubon game at a site and date to be determined. Middle is the third seed.