Field hockey team works ‘for every game’

STAFFORD — The Mountain View High School field hockey team started the 2009 season on the wrong side of the scoreboard — twice.

Losses on the road to Maury and Cox may discourage a team that sees its record at 0-2 and is coming off a Northwest Regional title in 2008.

However, they weren’t the result of poor efforts.

“When we went down there, we were expecting to not do as well as we did,” said senior midfielder Heather Hartman. “Honestly, I think we played really well. And as far as us playing together, we looked really good.”

The Wildcats — which lost seven seniors from the previous season — used those pair of setbacks as fuel and motivation moving forward, rattling off 10 consecutive victories. In each of those wins, they never allowed more than two goals.

Overall, the team finished the regular season on Monday with a 2-0 triumph on the road against Brooke Point — Mountain View’s opponent in the opening round of the Commonwealth District tournament on Thursday.

The Wildcats earned the top seed and home-field advantage by virtue of an 11-1 record in league play and a 13-3 mark overall.
But the entire season wasn’t a cakewalk. Ten of their 16 games were decided by a single goal – 12 of them by two or less.

“We’ve had to work for every game,” said head coach Pattie Sullivan, in her fifth season with Mountain View. “Our games have been close. The girls realize the importance of trying to score early and trying to stay on top. Because once you get behind, it’s always difficult to come back. That’s the essence of the sport.”

Tight contests have made defense a priority. The Wildcats have recorded six shutouts and are allowing an average of 0.75 goals per game.

Senior Shelby Milligan is one of the team’s top defensive players, while their two leading scorers — Hartman and sophomore Bailee Hubert — have improved their play in that area as well. They both understand that stopping their opponents from putting the ball in the net is equally critical.

“Without our defense, we would be doing as well as we have,” Hubert said. They hold everything together.”

“Our defense is just as important — if not more important — than our offense,” said Hartman — an All-Met selection in 2008. “If you can’t stop them from scoring goals, you can’t win games, either.”
Milligan, Hubert and Hartman — the Wildcats’ three captains — helped lead the team to rebound from a loss to Stafford on Oct. 7 with consecutive shutouts of Colonial Forge and Riverbend.

“You never want to lose, but that sort of got us back on track and helped out with our intensity,” Sullivan said.

Hubert and Hartman have had their share of highlights on offense, as well. Hartman scored the load goal in a 1-0 overtime victory over Stafford on Sept. 10, while Hubert recorded a hat trick against Riverbend on Sept. 18.

And, according to Sullivan, they’re relinquishing more opportunities in favor of their teammates.

“Both are a little too giving,” she said. “They pass when they need to be shooting. We’re working on getting them a little more intense when it comes to play in front of the goal and taking their shots a little more quickly.”

They’ll be no shortage of intensity with the postseason underway, as Mountain View embarks on another Commonwealth title. Should the Wildcats defeat Brooke Point, they’ll match-up with either North Stafford or Albemarle in the second round.

Brian Wright is a contributing writer for the Stafford County Sun and the content coordinator for CoachesAid.Virginia.