My high school soccer coach Bruce Thomas once told me when I was playing as a wing, "When the ball is on the opposite side of you, just get to the back post and when the ball comes put it in the net." Friday afternoon it seemed as if Claire Gould received that same advice from one of her coaches.
Gould scored both goals as the Granville survived a sluggish start and bounced back from their first loss of the season with a 2-0 Wasaren-Adirondack League field hockey win over Greenwich.
"It was a tough game played by both teams," Barber said.
Early on it looked a if Granville was still reeling from their 4-0 loss to Hoosick Falls. The Witches were dominant in the first 30 minutes. Greenwich used the speed and stick skills of Jocelyn Spiezio and Grace Autiello to control possession.
Greenwich appeared on the verge of breaking the 0-0 deadlock multiple times in the final five minutes of the first half. Reece Autiello was just wide on a drive from just inside the circle and another great look skipped underneath the stick of a Witch's player at the doorstep of the cage.
Granville looked like they were shot out of cannon in the second. The Golden Horde started to flip possesson in their direction in the third quarter, and it paid dividends late in the stanza.
With 3:55 to go in the period Natalie Williams chased down a ball that seemed destined to roll off the end line. After collecting the ball Williams sent it across the goal mouth where Gould was waiting on the far post to direct it past Greenwich goalie Maddy Curley for a 1-0 Golden Horde lead.
The narrow Granville lead held up until just over a minute remaining in the contest when Melissa Beaver found Gould waiting once again on the backside. Gould again slipped the pass into the cage to give the Golden Horde an insurance goal.
Despite being under serious pressure, especially in the first half, the Granville defense led by goalie Megan Decker, along with Megan Hover, Korona Steves and Lauren Bascom kept the Witches off the board. Decker recorded six saves to earn the shutout.
Curley stopped two shots for Greenwich.
Greenwich outshot the Golden Horde 8-6 and held a 12 10 advantage in offensive corners.
Granville is now 7-1. Greenwich is 3-4.
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