USM Remains Unbeaten in Field Hockey

The varsity field hockey team shellacked Living Word Lutheran 8-1 in a Wisconsin High School Field Hockey Association game Monday at USM.

A short corner disparity helped give the victory to USM. The Wildcats had seven first half short corners and twelve in the second half for a total of 19. They scored half of their eight goals on short corner opportunities. Living Word Lutheran had only one short corner during the afternoon.

USM senior Billie Fritz scored USM's first goal on a beautiful individual play. Fritz intercepted a clearing pass by the Timberwolves just outside the top of the Living Word Lutheran defense. She took a step into the circle and fired a shot that zoomed like a cruise missile on a mission into the bottom corner of the Timberwolves' goal with 21:39 still left in the first half.

The Wildcats scored their next goal on a well-executed short corner play. Senior Sally James inserted the ball to senior Jenna Seter at the top of the circle. Seter sent it sideways to sophomore Kendall Youngblood, who immediately moved it down to the edge of the goal line to senior Erika Hurth. Hurth crossed it to James at the far post, and James touched it in at 15:19.

USM made it 3-0 at 8:18 of the first half. Senior Lindsay Neitzel brought the ball down the right side on a run. Nearing the goal line, she lined a pass across to senior Cassie Bence who briskly blazed a low shot past the Timberwolves' goalie Abby Weber.

The Wildcats added five goals to their total in the second half. 

The first came at 28:44. During a scuffle in front of the Living Word Lutheran net, Seter touched the ball into a crowd of players. The ball bounced off of a Timberwolf defender and then hit Weber's foot before slipping across the goal line.

Seter scored USM's fifth goal at 24:01 by touching the ball past Weber off a pass by Youngblood during a short corner play. USM's head coach Tom Carter called the goal "one of the best short corners of the season." 

The Wildcats scored on yet another short corner at 21:24 when James fired in a shot near the post after receiving a line-drive pass from Fritz at the top of the circle.

Another short corner play at 13.36 gave USM a 7-0 lead. Senior Maggie Schroeder scored it on a shot rocketed from the top of the circle after James inserted the ball to her.

The Timberwolves scored their lone goal at 10:11 during a scramble for ball control in the USM circle. Samantha Steger finished the play by slashing the ball in for the goal.

USM senior Georgia Hoagland tallied the game's final score. Hoagland ran the ball into the Timberwolves' circle. She took on Weber in one on one duel and confidently slotted the ball neatly under the goalie's legs. 

USM's senior goalkeeper Margeaux Hagemann made three saves, all in the second half. Weber stopped 21 of the Wildcats' 29 shots on goal.

USM remains unbeaten for the season; the Wildcats have a 17-0-3 record. They play three more regular season games during the week. The first is at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday when Brookfield Academy comes to USM for a game.