LHS Field Hockey Team Falls to Reading in Close Contest

Lexington High School's field hockey team suffered a tough 3-2 loss to Reading High School on Tuesday, on a goal scored in the final minutes of play, leaving the Minutemen with some big questions about their playoff future.

Lexington (7-5-2) played hard, but was exhausted by the tenacity of the Rockets' (7-5-1) midfielders, and, down four starters, lost their edge in the final minute. The Minutemen had the talent, seizing upon their opportunities to score, but the defense was overwhelmed late by the Rockets' hustle.

"The forwards played well," said Lexington Coach Ellen Vera. "But we had four starters out, and our defense had one difficult time."

The Minutemen struck first, scoring in the second minute of the game. Mellisa Mullen, who was filling in for an injured starter, proved she belonged when she knocked in a ball crossed from the left corner.

But goals didn't come as easily the rest of the game. Malou Brombery had to push hard in the midfield to get the team another legitimate opportunity. Lexington's second goal came off of a firm pass toward goal from Brombery that forward Jessica Pietri forced past the goalie.

The Minutemen made great stands at the goal. Lexington goalie Jennifer Lee was pounded with shots, and it seemed like she blocked five for every goal Reading scored.

Victoria Chan and Brombery zipped across the field to get stops, pressuring anyone with the ball. On corners against Lexington, Brombery came up with three big clears near the end to keep the Minutemen in the game.

But Reading was afforded too many opportunities, and scored in the closing minutes of the second half. For the Rockets, Emma Reed was ferocious. She scraped up every loose ball and sped them back into Minutemen territory.

Reed controlled the midfield, which limited the Minutemen's ability to distribute. She also was the benefactor of many of the officials' calls. In the final eight minutes of the game, she hit seven corners against Lexington.

By the end of the game, Vera was yelling for her players to, "give help" and "cover your mark; I want to hear your yells," but the Minutemen were too drained to meet their coach's demands.

After the game, Vera had a long talk with her team about determination despite adversity.

"Clearly, I'm (upset)," Vera said. "I mean we're down four starters, but the young players played well. We had been a 6-1 team, and now we've fallen to 7-5-2."

The Minutemen try to turn the tide on Thursday against Stoneham.