By Kevin Eickman
This past Thursday, Milford hosted Sussex Tech in a dominant 4-0 victory. While a win is always welcome, Milford’s field hockey team is still searching for a full four-quarter performance. Head coach McPike has high expectations for her squad this season, believing there’s much more to come from them.
Milford got off to a strong start, scoring twice in the first quarter. Senior Hannah Zimmerman opened the scoring with 5:52 remaining in the period. Just over a minute later, junior Isabel Betts doubled the Buccaneers’ advantage with another goal. Despite the fast start, Coach McPike still sees room for improvement.
“I was really happy with how we started today, but we slowed down a bit in the second quarter, and that’s not what we’re looking to do,” McPike explained. “We had a number of chances in the first half, and to go into halftime with just a 2-0 lead was not what we wanted.”
In the second half, Milford extended their lead with goals in both the third and fourth quarters. Junior Leah Metzner found the back of the net in the third, while Zimmerman closed out the scoring in the fourth, sealing the 4-0 win.
Despite the convincing result, Coach McPike believes the victory could have been even more decisive. “It’s just a matter of believing in the system and doing your job. We beat a team we should have beaten. But when you look at the opportunities we had, we should have put more goals in the net today,” she said.
Looking at the game and reviewing the stats, it’s clear Milford has even more potential. The Bucs missed several chances to convert passes in the circle into goals and left some plays unfinished. These are areas they’ll aim to improve moving forward. Statistically, Milford dominated the game with 39 shots compared to Sussex Tech’s two, and they earned 10 penalty corners while allowing none. Junior goalkeeper Madison Stahl didn’t register a single save, further highlighting Milford’s control.
The Buccaneers have adopted an aggressive attacking style, with all but two players contributing to the offense. This strategy puts added pressure on the defense, requiring midfielders to drop back and support when the opponent is on the counterattack. Senior Jordyn Casper provided that support on Thursday, playing a solid game.
“The way we press up, the midfielders have a responsibility to get back and help on defense,” Casper noted. “It takes all of us to be aware of what’s going on to make sure we are in the proper positions and doing what we’re supposed to do as a team. Things can change quickly out there, and it’s our job to stay sharp and shut down the opposition when needed.”
On Saturday, the Buccaneers traveled to the University of Delaware, where they shut out Dover 7-0 to improve to 4-1 on the season. Milford will next travel to Lake Forest for a 4:30 p.m. start this Thursday.
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