GREENVILLE — Padua and Tatnall played two distinct halves of field hockey on Oct. 12, with the Hornets in firm control in the first half, then withstanding multiple Pandas attacks in the second. Tatnall was the only team to reach the scoreboard, however, notching a goal in each half in a 2-0 win.
The Hornets, the eighth-ranked team in Division II by Delaware Live/302Sports, went right to work in the first quarter, earning a penalty corner just a minute in. Tatnall kept the pressure on, picking up six more corner opportunities in the quarter, several of which produced shots. Pandas keeper Cara Quinlan kept the game scoreless with two saves in succession midway through, and she added a huge stop on the last corner, which came as time expired.
It was more of the same to start the second, with Quinlan coming up big once again off a penalty corner. Padua, ranked 10th in Division I, finally earned its first two corners, but the could not get a shot on goal. Tatnall broke through with 2:35 to go until halftime, as Lydia Colasante sent a long pass down low to Kali Clayton to Quinlan’s left. Clayton sent a sharp-angle shot to the far post.
It was a different story after the half. The Pandas took the action to Tatnall, with a shot on goal being deflected wide with about 9:30 left in the third. The Hornets were forced to play shorthanded after a green card, and Padua had a shot knocked wide. Another corner led to a scramble in close, but the Hornets eventually cleared the ball.
The Hornets regrouped late in the third. Off a penalty corner with about 1:45 to go, they forced Quinlan to make another save. They had one more chance in the final 20 seconds.. A long pass into the circle by Teryn Singer was tipped by Clayton and into the cage, giving Tatnall an insurance marker with just 2.4 seconds left on the clock.
The Pandas kept up the heat in the final 15 minutes, but they could not break through. They had four more penalty corners, with one shot going wide and another hitting off the foot of a Padua player.
Final statistics were not available Tuesday night. Tatnall (8-2), which posted its third straight shutout, plays the fourth of six consecutive home games on Thursday at 3:45 p.m. against rival Tower Hill.
Padua fell to 5-5 and hosts the top-ranked team in Division I, Cape Henlopen, on Saturday night at 6 at the Chase Fieldhouse.
All photos by Mike Lang.
