A Lot to be Proud of for Shore Field Hockey

When you win 18 games in a season and all but three of them are shutouts, people are going to take notice, even if one of only three losses came in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinal.

Such is the case for the Shore Regional field hockey team as the second seeded Blue Devils lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to third seeded Southern. Shore responded by avenging their early Shore Conference exit with a convincing 10-0 victory over Bordentown in the quarterfinal round of the North Jersey Section 2, Group 1 Tournament.

“It was definitely a tough loss for us and we tried to use that as a learning experience,” fourth year Shore Head Coach Kelly Koenig said. “We knew as a team if we wanted to pursue our goals, we had to really think about what we could have done differently outside our attacking 16 and find a way to finish in pressure situations when you are playing a good team.”

The team responded with victories over Bordentown (10-0) and Johnson (1-0) to get to the North Jersey Section 2, Group 1 title game, which ended in a 2-1 defeat to Madison on Nov. 3, who claimed their fourth straight sectional title. It was the second season in a row the Blue Devils fell to Madison in the sectional final.

The offense has been a strong point for Shore all season, with five girls scoring double-digit goals. The team is led offensively by senior Talia Cantaffa (36 goals, five assists) and junior Maggie Lamb (27 goals, 26 assists). Senior Abby Kopec, who will further her field hockey career at Ohio State next fall, has 26 goals and 20 assists.

“These kids are really looking to play a well-balanced attack,” Koenig said. “They want to distribute the ball and have multiple shooters, which makes it harder for defensive units. Not only can they finish, but they can also develop the plays for their teammates.”

Taking over as head coach four years ago, Koenig has been there since day one for this senior class, and she would like nothing more than to see them go out on top.

“For me, it’s special to see this senior class and the three senior captains out on the field making an impact with their play and who they are as people,” Koenig said. “Watching them grow has been something really special for me and I’m incredibly proud of them for the type of hockey they play and who they are as people.”

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