Mallards Cruise To ESIAC Championship

Mallards Cruise To ESIAC Championship
10 31 Color Sports Isabel WEB

BERLIN- Worcester Prep’s varsity field hockey team completed its remarkable 2014 season with a decisive win in the Eastern Shore Independent Athletic Conference (ESIAC) championship over old rival Saints Peter and Paul at home on Monday.

After a couple of early season setbacks during a play day at host Pocomoke way back in early September, the Mallards ran off 12 straight regular season victories including a pair of wins at home and on the road against the Sabres. Last Friday, Worcester cruised past Gunston in the ESIAC semifinals, 3-0, to set up a third rematch with Saints Peter and Paul in the championship game on Monday at home.

Both teams battled to a scoreless tie through much of the first half before Worcester’s Isabel Carulli finally broke through with a goal with just 49 seconds remaining on a nice assist by Leigh Lingo. Saints Peter and Paul would not go quietly and continued to apply relentless pressure on the Mallard cage during the early part of the second half.

Worcester Coach Jenny Frostrom extolled her team to continue to hold off the Sabres on the defensive end and find a way to get an insurance goal to give the Mallards some cushion. That insurance goal came with just seven minutes left in the game as Mia Miacci nailed the ball into the Sabres’ cage.

With a 2-0 lead, the Mallards repulsed any late attempts by the Sabres to get back in the game and held on for the 2-0 championship win, touching off a wild celebration on the field. Head Master Dr. Barry Tull presented the conference championship trophy to senior captains Caroline Lindsay, Jordy Loomis, Natalie Twilley and Carolyn Dorey, each of whom was named First Team-All ESIAC. Loomis was also named ESIAC Player of the Year after the championship game.