Pats shut out Titans to snap three-game skid

By Matt Metcalf
Posted 10/20/16

The Pilgrim field hockey team got first-half goals from Kayla Morin and Morgan Oliver to snap a three-game skid, spoiling Toll Gate's senior day with a 2-0 victory on Monday at CCRI's Knight Campus. There were a lot of

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Pats shut out Titans to snap three-game skid

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The Pilgrim field hockey team got first-half goals from Kayla Morin and Morgan Oliver to snap a three-game skid, spoiling Toll Gate’s senior day with a 2-0 victory on Monday at CCRI’s Knight Campus.

There were a lot of emotions following the game, as Titans’ head coach Jim Areson recognized Pilgrim’s seniors as well, many of whom he coached at Vets last year.

“That was the fun thing, I’m glad for them,” Areson said about coaching against his former players. “I thought [Brittney and Brianna] Boyd, Kayla and Morgan all played well, particularly. Kayla and Morgan scored, so they’ve had a really nice season. The ironic thing is, if the school doesn’t close, I’m still there and I’m coaching all of those kids.”

As they did in the first matchup between the Pats and Titans, Areson’s former players were able to make an impact against his current squad.

Just six minutes into the first half, Morin cleaned up a rebound on the doorstep to give Pilgrim the 1-0 advantage.

Paula Cavanagh had an opportunity to double the lead a few minutes later when she went coast-to-coast, but Titans’ keeper Mary Greenwell would come out of her net to block Cavanagh’s shot.

In the other net, Lindsey Fontes was equally impressive for the Pats, as she made a tremendous kick save on Diandra Delsignore 12 minutes in to keep Pilgrim out in front.

It wasn’t until 23 minutes into the first frame that Pilgrim was able to strike again.

Off a corner, a pass was fired out to Cavanagh at the top of the key, who found Oliver far post for an easy tap-in, upping the lead to 2-0.

Toll Gate was desperately looking to get on the board in the waning minutes of the first half, earning a flurry of corners, but Fontes denied the Titans time and time again to preserve the two-goal cushion heading into the break.

“Lindsey definitely did a great job,” Pilgrim head coach Stephanie Shields said. “She even played really well last week, but we just couldn’t capitalize on our chances. She’s definitely a key factor in the whole team.”

A few seconds after halftime, Toll Gate had a chance to cut its deficit in half when Nicole Procaccini found Delsignore at the back post, but she couldn’t get a clean shot off as the ball rolled just wide.

Other than that, there weren’t many offensive opportunities in the second half, as both teams clamped down on defense.

Pilgrim did earn a penalty shot six minutes into the half, but Cavanagh was stonewalled by Greenwell to keep the game at 2-0.

A great all-around defensive effort ensued after that, as Pilgrim was able to hold the two-goal first half lead that it built.

The victory provided a huge confidence boost for the Pats, as they got back to .500 in Division II after dropping three consecutive games.

“Last week was tough, but today was good to get some scoring under our belts heading into playoffs,” Shields said. “It’s always good to get a few more points to gain some momentum with playoffs coming up.”

Pilgrim was set to host three-win Cranston East on Wednesday for its regular season finale, but results were unavailable at press time.

Results were also unavailable for Toll Gate’s game against Rocky Hill on Wednesday. It will also host Wheeler at 4:15 p.m. today and travel to Classical at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, as it looks to secure the final playoff spot out of Division II-South.

“We play Wheeler on Thursday, and that will be tough, but we know that we can beat Rocky Hill, we’ve already beaten them once, and Classical,” Areson said. “I’d really just like to end on a high and take it from there.”

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