Trojans Win Senior Night in Overtime

When a game goes into overtime, the pressure can be unbearable. Even more so in field hockey, where one goal is all that is needed to erase an entire game's worth of work. It is in these moments when coaches and players look to seniors to lead the way, and it was in that moment that Pottstown's Milan White answered the call.

White scored the only goal of the game as the Trojans defeated Sun Valley 1-0 under the lights at Griggs Memorial Field. The Vanguards seemed to be in control at the the start of the evening, pushing Pottstown back against their own goal and taking the early lead in shots. The Trojans held strong behind the stalwart play of goalie Anika Watkins-Frazier.

"She's a monster!" said Pottstown head coach Brandy McPherson, laughing. "She will put her body on the line for any ball that she can get to, has been that way for four years, and is relentless in the goal cage."

Sun Valley found numerous opportunities to score on Watkins-Frazier, including a few close calls on corners. A one-on-one save in the second kept the game scoreless to set up White's heroics.

Until overtime, the Trojan offense looked anemic. Brief flurries in the first set up a strong second half, as Pottstown began to place their passes and get on point in the Vanguard's end. Sun Valley played strong defenses of their own, however, holding off the Trojans on three consecutive corner plays with less than 1:30 to play. Pottstown failed to get off a shot on the first set play, while the second and third ended in a save and a shot out of bounds.

The sparse crowd became electric in the extra period, infusing an entirely different level of excitement to the action. The Trojans responded immediately, screaming down field and blasting an early shot directly at the Sun Valley goalie. The Pottstown defense turned back a final Vanguards attack, and the Blue and White headed downfield for what would be their final possession in Sun Valley territory. White emerged from a scrum in front of the goal and hit the boards, touching off a celebration that ended with a Blue and White mobbing at midfield.

"She's someone that, as a senior, you tell the underclassmen to look up at," McPherson said of White. "Replicate what she does. She does the right things most of the time … she works hard all of the time. It was well deserved."

McPherson was quick to praise all of the senior's whose night was saved.

"I can not say enough about the senior that I have this year," McPherson said. "They're phenomenal. That is why there are six captains for the first time ever since I've been coaching. I could not identify two or three … they all have the leadership skills. They're all motivated. They're all passionate. They all show everything that you could possibly ever want. For four years they've just been dedicated to this program."