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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
It was the perfect weather, the perfect comeback, and the perfect end on senior night for the Dover-Sherborn Regional High School field hockey team on Wednesday evening at home against rival Hopkinton, whom DS was tied with atop the TVL entering the contest and fell to (1-0) on September 25.
Trailing 1-0 at the break, the Raiders (11-2-1) responded with three goals off of penalty corners in the second half to prevail with a 3-1 comeback victory, clinching themselves at least a share of the TVL title.
Maggie Green (3) battles for a loose ball with a Hopkinton defender early in the first half of DS’s 3-1 win over Hopkinton on Wednesday night.
The Raiders had several tremendous scoring opportunities early, but were denied thanks to some incredible saves by the Hopkinton goalkeeper. As time expired in the first half, Hopkinton was awarded a penalty corner following a foul in the DS end. Hopkinton executed a goal on the penalty corner, tapping home a rebound past a sprawling Jackie Mountford to take a 1-0 lead into the half.
DS came out of halftime playing extremely aggressively on offense. A little over six minutes in, the Raiders were rewarded for their hard work in the offensive end when Maggie Green fired home the rebound of a shot on a corner attempt to knot the game at one for DS. Five minutes later at 18:41, Kendall Robbins tapped home the rebound of a shot by Green on another penalty corner to give the Raiders their first lead of the contest.
Payton Ahola (17) dangles around a Hopkinton defender and cuts towards the net midway through the first half.
A little over five minutes after the Robbins goal, DS was awarded another penalty corner with the chance to add some insurance. Nicole Parrish cashed in by knocking the ball into the net out of midair on a rebound and DS found themselves up a deuce. Following the goal by Parrish, the Raiders went into clock-kill mode, controlling possession deep in the Hopkinton end and locking down the center of the field and the alleys to ensure no potential breakaways. The clock struck zeroes and the Raiders rejoiced with a 3-1 win on senior night to clinch themselves a share of the conference title.
The Raiders will have the chance to clinch the outright conference title in their final TVL contest at Bellingham on October 27 before finishing the regular season on the road against Bay State Conference power Needham on October 28.
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0, or read his blog at www.flannylive.wordpress.com.
