Team play gives Shore an SCT opening round win
Shutout continues strong season for Blue Devils
By chris kelly
Staff Writer

CHRIS KELLY Shore Regional’s Ali Shames-Dawson works the ball near the sideline during the Blue Devils’ win over St. John Vianney in the opening round of the Shore Conference Tournament Friday.

Since 1984, when the Shore Conference field hockey tournament began, Shore Regional has been in it every year. And in recent years, the Blue Devils have been among the teams to beat.

But this year, most people realize that the Blue Devils stand alone as the team to beat, after cruising through their regular season thus far, dominating play regardless of the competition.

And as the postseason gets under way, the Devils are ready to crank their play up even more.

The Blue Devils proved why they received No. 1 in the tournament, with a 5-0 shutout of a good St. John Vianney team in an opening round game on Friday.

Despite losing most of its multiple-championship winning players from last year’s squad, the Blue Devils have a strong command over the Shore with a 16-0 record, while featuring a talented young team.

Friday’s win marked the second year in a row that the Blue Devils eliminated the Lancers from the SCT.

"We played them in the opening round last year, and beat them 7-0, but we graduated pretty much everybody," said Shore head coach Nancy Williams. "We were pretty weary of them. We scrimmaged them in the preseason. St. John Vianney is a very athletic team, who does a good job.

"I was proud of the kids today. If you look in the book, kids who haven’t been scoring all year stepped up to put in the goals."

Shore opened up the game with a pair of first half goals, the first from Lauren Hennessey, and the second from Monica Miceli.

Hennessey broke the scoreless deadlock 8:22 into the game, as she snuck a shot by Tina Philburn inside the left post.

Fourteen minutes later, just as the referee was about to call a penalty corner, Miceli (sophomore) sent a pass from Ali Shames-Dawson into the cage.

"The one thing about this team is that we are evenly dispersed," said Williams. "Teams are going to try to take away Amanda Arnold and Shames-Dawson, and say, ‘Beat us with your other scorers.’ What they will find out is that one person doesn’t make our team. We are definitely a team."

The Blue Devils padded their lead in the second half with Stephanie Rubert tacking on a pair and Miceli adding another goal as well.

Shore’s three-goal barrage began at the 41:52 mark, when Rubert sent in an unassisted goal, before scoring on a pass from Shames-Dawson six minutes later.

Miceli broke up her teammates scoring with her own second goal which was rifled in at 42:38.

Miceli was near the top of the arch when Arnold passed her the ball, and she proceeded to rip it inside the far side post.

Along with Shore’s offensive strength, their defense was just as solid. The Blue Devils only allowed their guests 10 shots on goal with the vigilant Robyn Apicelli blocking six.

Shore’s defense also only gave the Lancers a total of eight penalty corners. Shore had 11 corners and 25 shots.

The Blue Devils went on to advance to the semifinal round of the tournament, defeating Southern, 5-1, on Monday.

Casey Whalen scored a hat trick for the Blue Devils, while Miceli and Hennessey tallied the other two. Assists were credited to Arnold (2) and Shames-Dawson.

As Shore outshot their guest 17-9, Apicelli made seven saves.

Shore’s next opponent will be Central Regional, who defeated Red Bank Catholic, 3-0.