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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
Two field hockey teams with high aspirations met at Fisher Field on Thursday afternoon as the Medfield Warriors hosted the Westwood Wolverines.
After a late Medfield rally, Westwood was able to hang on for a thrilling 3-2 victory to improve to 3-1-1, while Medfield dropped to 1-3-1.
Colleen Dalton gave the Wolverines an early 1-0 lead, taking a pass from Kayla Conway and firing the ball home into the back of the net off of transition to draw first blood for Westwood with 6:46 to play in the first half.
With 1:53 remaining in the half, Elizabeth Watson doubled Westwood’s lead to 2-0 after taking a cross-field pass from Jane Krumsiek and firing home a shot up high, giving the Wolverines a multi-goal lead at the half.
Less than eight minutes into the second half, senior captain Erin Seibel responded for Medfield and cut the deficit to one with a cannon off of a penalty corner to make it a 2-1 game with 22:03 remaining. However, less than nine minutes later, Kathleen Reissfelder perfectly tipped home a slap-pass from Laura Ellis to extend Westwood’s lead back to two at 3-1 with 13:08 to play.
Kathryn Blake responded right back for Medfield just over four minutes later, tapping home the rebound of a penalty corner to once again make it a one-goal game at 3-2 with 9:02 remaining. Medfield began to up its pressure in search of the tying goal but were continuously turned away, thanks to some stout defensive play by the Wolverines. As time expired, Medfield was awarded one final untimed penalty corner with the chance to tie the game. Seibel received the ball and fired a shot just wide of the left-side post, and Westwood hung on for the 3-2 victory.
Medfield defeated Hopkinton the following day, 3-0, for their first victory of the 2018 season.
Westwood returns to action at Ashland on September 28 while Medfield will travel to Norwood that same day.
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0.
