DIXFIELD — Jayce Brophy is a playmaker.
The Dirigo junior used speed and agility to score once and added two assists in the Cougars’ 4-0 MVC field hockey victory over Oak Hill on Monday.
“She can carry the ball, and she’s not selfish,” Dirigo coach Gretchen Curtis said. “She’s not our highest (goal) scorer, but she is leading the team in assists. She gets the ball where it needs to be.”
Oak Hill (3-7), with only 13 players on the roster, just ran out of gas in the second half.
“Usually at halftime, we will come out strong to start the second half,” Oak Hill coach Lexi Fuller said. “With the lack of subs and we had a busy week last week, and a busy week ahead of us. Lack of subs and rainouts have made it tricky. (The players) work hard; I can’t really ask for more.”
In the first quarter, the Cougars (7-2-2) spent most of the time on the offensive side of the field. They had six corners in the first 15 minutes, while Oak Hill had just one.
Dirigo carried the momentum into the second quarter. Brophy fed Grace Robbins in the circle off a corner to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead.
Curtis gave the team a simple message between the first and second quarters — to get the offense going.
“I said instead of waiting for the ball, they have to go to it,” Curtis said. “(Robbins) went to (the ball).”
The Raiders had a chance to tie with six minutes remaining in the half when Julie Mooney had a breakaway, but the Cougars’ defense broke up the opportunity. Dirigo goalie Alyvia Ellis only needed to make two saves in the shutout.
Sierra Lane, Oak Hill’s goalie, made two critical saves in the final two minutes of the second quarter to keep the deficit at 1-0.
In the third quarter, Brophy notched her second assist of the game by driving the net and deking Lane. Kathryn Callendar deflected her shot into the goal.
“I have learned throughout the season to draw in the goalie and (pass it to the far post), and someone was usually there to put it in,” Brophy said. “It seems to work every time.”
Brophy put Dirigo up 3-0 when she ran from the defensive end of the field to the offensive end and fired the ball into the far corner of the net.
Brophy was trying to find Callendar again.
“I was trying to get it to Kathryn, but she didn’t end up getting (her) stick on it,” Brophy said.
Dirigo peppered Lane (20 saves) with 14 shots in the fourth quarter. On the 11th shot, Grace Averill stretched the lead to 4-0.
“She had 13 saves in the fourth quarter; almost half of her saves came just in the fourth quarter,” Fuller said. “I can’t ask anything more from her; she works hard in practices, she’s working hard in games. We are so lucky to have her.”
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