THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 11, 1996 TAG: 9610110689
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 52 lines
The first half of the Cox-Kempsville field hockey showdown appeared to confirm a rumor of Beach District parity.
The second half squashed it.
The seven-time defending Group AAA champion Falcons completely took over the affair in the second 30 minutes to produce a 1-0 victory that pushed Cox's win streak to 54.
But even with the Falcons' second-half domination, Kempsville nearly tied the game in the final minute on a penalty corner play that would have sent the game to overtime.
Mia Capps started the play, sending the entrance pass to Laura Steadman. Steadman blasted a shot at first-year Falcons keeper Kiernan Raffo, and Chiefs teammate Katie Sullivan re-directed it with a slight touch of her stick - sending the ball barely wide of the left post.
It was a great chance, but the Chiefs' only one of the second half.
Top-ranked Cox (7-0 overall, 5-0 in the Beach) had opened the second period on the offensive and immediately earned its fifth penalty corner of the game.
Cox had six more such plays in the next 10 minutes and finally made one count with 18:30 left to play.
Ashley Sperry sent the starting pass from the right side to the center of the scoring circle, where Katie Kubic quickly sent it back to Sperry - who stroked a centering pass that Katie McDonald blasted past Chiefs keeper Lauren Rafal.
``I saw it coming,'' McDonald said. ``I was determined to get that ball in.
``We were a little nervous in the first half, I think. But we came out with a lot of intensity in the second and played a lot stronger.''
Cox finished the game with an 11-3 advantage in penalty corners and a 7-4 edge in shots.
``Cox played a nice game,'' said Kempsville coach Sarah Taylor. ``The team was able to get the ball into Katie (McDonald) and she was able to put it in.
``We had a letdown in the second half and after they scored, everyone tried to pick up for everyone else. I think we tried too hard in the second half.''
The No. 2 Chiefs (6-1-1, 3-1-1) had opened the contest strong, with Steadman taking the opening tap right at Cox and blasting a 15-foot shot that Raffo kicked out of harm's way.
Kempsville had another quality chance late in the first half when Steadman sent a perfectly-placed pass across the mouth of the Cox goal - only to have two players totally miss their strokes. ILLUSTRATION: L. TODD SPENCER
Kemspville's Sarah Willis, left, challenges Cox's Caroline Weirich
during Thursday's showdown of the No. 2 Chiefs and top-ranked
Falcons. by CNB