Field hockey: Freshman propels Gray-NG/NYA co-op past Oxford Hills

GRAY — Freshman Lydia Trytek’s first-period goal jump-started the Gray-New Gloucester/North Yarmouth Academy field hockey team in its 4-1 win over Oxford Hills in the Patriots’ home opener Monday. Trytek’s goal was set up by senior Emma Bowden on an offensive corner. “We got a corner, we got a foot in the corner, and then Emma called ‘Panther,’ and Emma sent it up to me, and I just aerial’d it into the back corner,” Trytek said.

Trytek finished with two goals, and Bowden had two assists. Gray-New Gloucester’s 1-0 lead lasted until Oxford Hills freshman Maesa Rossingol-Kane answered with a goal for the Vikings in the second period. Oxford Hills coach Hayly Holman said Rossingol-Kane, one of three freshmen on the Vikings varsity team, brings speed and savvy to the offensive.



“She’s very fast, but she’s also very intelligent,” Holman said. “It was all her off-ball movement — she’s a mid, she’s supposed to be at the top of circle, but she read the play, saw the far post was uncovered, and she took it upon herself to finish the play. I love that for her, and I love that for us.

” The Patriots did not have a shot on goal in the second period, but came out firing in the third and added another goal with 3:23 left in the third quarter. This time, Bowden set up sophomore Kenlie Nadeau, giving Gray-NG/NYA a 2-1 advantage. “My teammates are really good at getting up the field in the circle, we’ve really been working at that, so I just sent it in and they did the work,” Bowden said of her two assists.

Bowden said that the Patriots were playing individually early in the game, but readjusted at halftime and play more cohesively in the second half. Gray-New Gloucester/NYA coach Julia Leary said she also talked to the Patriots at halftime about not getting beat to the ball by the Vikings. At the start of the fourth period, senior Greta Tod scored the third Patriots goal, off an assist from Trytek.

Another freshman, Abby Lacombe, assisted on Trytek’s second goal that gave Gray-NG/NYA a 4-1 lead. “Lydia Trytek, she is really just phenomenal on our field,” Patriots coach Julia Leary said. “She’s our center mid, and she does a great job playing end line to end line.

She really truly is a playmaker.” The Patriots have had a defensive mindset in past seasons, but Leary said that with the speed and athleticism of this year’s squad, the team it is adjusting to more of a offensive-minded approach. “We saw some really, really positive things today,” Leary said.

“Seeing our underclassmen really step up and take control on the field, both with their skills but also with their communication, it really leads the team to success. It honestly feels good.” On defense, Leary said senior Elara Kluck was “a brick wall,” making it difficult for the Vikings to create scoring opportunities.

“Last year we had a very close game against them (Oxford Hills), so I was expecting a close game again,” Bowden said. “They really put up a fight.” Although the Patriots young this year, Holman said they were scrappy and well-conditioned.

“We really kind of fell apart on our technical skills and our positioning in the second half, and they took advantage of that,” Holman said. “So, hats off to them for taking their opportunities where they were.” Holman said the Vikings were communicative in the circle in the first half, as well as positionally disciplined.

However, things fell apart in the third and fourth periods especially on the defensive end. “I don’t know if we got fatigued and stopped talking, or something else, but we weren’t really marking very well in our defensive 25, and again, they took advantage of that,” Holman said. “I would say we are going to continue working on our whole defensive system and our defending 25 yards, while also looking to get better and more consistent at breaking out of our defensive 50 yards.

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