‘Canes score twice in second half to edge Titans

Matt Metcalf
Posted 9/8/15

The Warwick Vets field hockey team used a second-half surge to down rival Toll Gate, 2-0, in the season opener for both teams at CCRI’s Knight Campus on Thursday afternoon.

After a scoreless …

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‘Canes score twice in second half to edge Titans

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The Warwick Vets field hockey team used a second-half surge to down rival Toll Gate, 2-0, in the season opener for both teams at CCRI’s Knight Campus on Thursday afternoon.

After a scoreless first half that saw the ‘Canes get the majority of the scoring opportunities, it appeared that the Titans’ defense finally began to wear down in the sweltering heat midway through the second half.

With Vets continuing to maintain the majority of the possession time, it was able to break the tie on a goal from Maddie Axtmann, who emerged through traffic in front of the Toll Gate cage to knock in a rebound to give the ‘Canes a 1-0 lead.

Just minutes later, Natasha Savage doubled her team’s lead when she fired a shot to the back of the cage.

The Titans pressed to cut into their deficit in the final minutes, but couldn’t beat sophomore Mary Greenwell, who was making her first varsity start in net.

All in all, it was a great way to start the season for the ‘Canes, as they’ll look for some more success following a 10-4-2 season last fall.

“I thought we played well,” Vets head coach Jim Areson said. “Weather definitely had an impact – there were lulls in the game. I thought [Toll Gate] got tired in the second half. We’re fortunate we have numbers and were able to keep our players fresh.”

For continued success, Areson noted that he will look to his group of seven seniors.

“If they play steady, we’ll be able to build from there,” Areson said of his veterans.

For the Titans, they had nothing to hang their heads over in the loss. Following a winless season, Toll Gate came out and put together a good fight against a playoff team in its opener. Head Coach Leila Connolly noted that her players put in a tremendous amount of hard work and effort in the offseason.

“We came back to practice the strongest and fittest that we’ve been in years,” Connolly said. “This team really wants to be competitive. We have a tightly-bonded team. We’re making steady improvements in all aspects of the game.”

There’s no question that Toll Gate won’t have a problem keeping games close with stellar play from senior Brittney Ayotte in net.

Her play even impressed Areson, as Ayotte stonewalled the ‘Canes in the first half.

“Brittney played really well – she had one blocker save that was really impressive,” Areson said of the opposing netminder. “She was in position most of the time.”

Following a semifinal run last season, Vets is confident again that a playoff run is in its near future.

“It doesn’t seem like there’s one dominant team, so I don’t think there’s any reason why we can’t make the playoffs,” Areson said.

However, Areson did note that it’s still early and it continues to be an unknown as to how the standings may shake out.

The Titans remain confident following their opening game, as they’ll look to turn the tide of the program after three straight winless campaigns.

“We held them for 45 minutes, but just couldn’t score,” Connolly said. “I think we did enough good things in the game that it won’t hurt our confidence.”

Vets will play another cross-town rival, Pilgrim, on Wednesday at 3:45 p.m. on the road. It will then host its first home game of the season when it welcomes in Rocky Hill on Friday for a 3:45 p.m. start.

As for the Titans, they’ll travel to Chariho on Wednesday for a 3:45 p.m. game. They’ll then host South Kingstown on Friday at 3:45 p.m. at CCRI’s Knight Campus.

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