Jamotta, Krumholz lift Miller Place
Miller Place's Jackie Jamotta (5) breaks through Comsewogue defenders Alex Hagney (25) and Stefani Vagelatos (28) causing Jordan Cassella (7) to lose her stick. (Sept. 26, 2011) Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
Is it really better to be lucky than good? There's no definitive answer to that age-old question, but here lies evidence of what happens when the good get lucky.
Miller Place's "Oh, no you don't" defense and two Lady Luck-assisted goals by Jackie Jamotta and Allie Krumholz Monday keyed a 3-0 win over host Comsewogue in Division III field hockey.
"You can just tell," Panthers sweeper Kitty Moore said, "this was the turning point of our season."
Miller Place (3-3, 3-1) isn't used to losses early in the season. The defending division champs have long been an elite team, but among the seniors lost was Kitty's all-state sister, Mary, a do-it-all superstar. The Panthers, still transitioning, have had to go about things differently this year.
"We've had to work 10 times harder," Moore said, "but I'm seeing it now."
The Panthers got on the board at 20:05 of the first half on Jamotta's score. The forward, who was camped eight feet left of the cage, took Maggie Gersbeck's pass, which fortuitously found its way through a crowd, and lashed the ball into the near corner. "Once I got it," Jamotta said, "I knew I had to take advantage immediately."
Comsewogue (2-2) appeared to tie it at 10:17, but the goal wasn't counted. Neither referee saw the play, both coaches said, and the Warriors instead were awarded a penalty stroke. Alex Hagney fired a low liner toward the left corner, but Chelsea Blaney (seven saves) made a spectacular diving stop.
"All I did was try to get back on my angle quickly," said Blaney, who gave credit for the shutout to her defense.
"They were unstoppable," Miller Place coach Alana LaMorte said of her defense. In particular Moore and Maggie Revera, who hounded Comsewogue's potent forward line.
Opportunity knocked again for Miller Place when a long, errant pass from the midfield clanged off the right pipe and ricocheted directly to Krumholz, who tapped it inside the post 9:25 before halftime. Gersbeck scored the third goal, off a feed from Emily Mott, with three seconds left in the game.
Caitlin Moran made 11 saves for Comsewogue.
"All the pieces just fit today," LaMorte said. "Everything went perfectly for us."
