THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 14, 1994 TAG: 9410130190
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 30 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
Before five-time defending state champion Cox played a field hockey game this season coach Nancy Fowlkes looked at her prospective lineup and called it the best 11 players she has ever put on the field.
That was an incredibly lofty statement, because Cox has fielded some very talented athletes during its run of eight titles since the Group AAA tournament began in 1977.
But Fowlkes has stuck by her statement throughout the season, always bringing up the point that while these might be her best players, they have yet to prove whether or not they are the best team ever to wear the green and gold.
Tuesday, against previously unbeaten Bayside, the Falcons passed that test.
``Now, this is the best team I've ever fielded,'' she said with a smile. ``They have made the transition. They took it to a new level.''
With Tuesday's victory, Cox improved to 10-0 with a 16-match winning streak. There appears to be no end in sight to the Falcons' dominance.
Opponents have tried just about everything to stop the high-scoring Falcons - from triple- and quadruple-teaming forwards Kirsty Hale and Kim Miller to packing all field players in the scoring circle in a ``dare you to get one past us'' defense.
Kempsville tried the ``no offense'' game plan and suffered only a 1-0 loss in overtime, despite a 71-shot barrage by the Falcons.
Bayside - a very talented squad in its own right - decided to play the game as it is taught and played very well at times. Were it not for several defensive stops by the Falcons' backfield and saves by keeper Kim Iman, the Marlins might have gotten on the board.
But while Bayside was making its attempts, Cox went about the business of becoming the best team ever to play for Fowlkes.
Junior forward Miller blasted in four goals and senior teammate Hale added two. Miller pushed her total to 23 goals for the season. Hale has 20.
After last year's 61-goal output by the two, they remain the premier scorers in the state.
Fowlkes has always given the rest of the district much credit for the quality of her team. So good is the Beach District that Cox has had to beat Beach opponents in three of the last four state finals.
Tuesday the Falcons basked in the glory of becoming what they thought they could be.
Bayside while upset with the loss, can hold its head high. The Marlins lost to the best team in the state and they can take credit for helping make it so. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Cox's Kirsty Hale, pictured, and fellow forward Kim Miller have been
triple- and quadruple-teamed this year, but they still lead their
team with 20 and 23 goals, respectively.
by CNB