BY RYAN O'CONNOR
Head coach Carol Merchant expects the Blue Devils to compete for a third straight Class L field hockey title and fifth in six years. The team’s first game did nothing to discourage this strong inclination.
On Aug. 29, Salem opened the 2007 season with a 5-0 victory at Goffstown, a team it defeated, 2-1, in the 2005 championship game.
While the Blue Devils took 20 shots on goal in the first half and jumped to a 3-0 lead, their defense kept goalkeeper Adrena Ghazarian fresh, saving her the trouble of stopping a shot until the second half. She finished with one save.
Senior Katie Bettencourt tallied Salem’s first goal of the season with 11:11 remaining in the first half, opening a frenzy of shots that included goals from junior Kyleigh Keating and senior Sara Halbich.
In the second half, Keating knocked in a rebound, and senior captain Carolyn Malloy sent a screaming one-timer just below the goaltender’s stick hand to cap the Blue Devils’ scoring.
“Our team goal was, at the end of the day, to be 1-0, so we achieved that. We frustrated the other team, and our fitness levels were good – especially with the heat in mind,” said Merchant of the 95-degree afternoon. “Goffstown’s a good team, and I don’t think the score quite reflects the play because a lot of it was in the midfield. But I think, overall, we dominated.”
Still, Merchant said her team can improve in transitioning the ball from one side of the field to the other.
She added if her players had finished stronger they likely could have scored five more goals.
This year’s offense is led by Malloy, who, in the last two games of the 2006 regular season, netted
game-winning overtime goals, then did it again in the playoff championship game. She also scored in each postseason contest.
Another offensive threat, Keating, is a natural goal scorer according to Merchant, who said she also expects the team’s other two captains, Ashley Mulkey and Taylor Dyer, as well as Bettencourt, to regularly produce scoring chances.
Newcomer Nicole Rozumek, a junior, is expected to contribute immediately.
“We have a strong core returning, so the potential is very high for this group, but we’ve still got to work to achieve that potential,” said Merchant. “We’re not looking ahead, but I think we have as good a chance as anybody.”