Fox Chapel field hockey team wins first WPIAL title
Fox Chapel High's emotions ran from zenith to nadir in a time frame that lasted less than 20 hours.
Just before 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday, the Foxes' joy knew no bounds as senior forward Sammi Pitz pounced on a loose ball and slammed it into the cage behind Penn-Trafford goalie Harry Miller for the game's only goal and the Foxes' first WPIAL field hockey championship.
But the joy was short-lived. The Foxes boarded a bus at 11 a.m. the next day, and returned home from State College, Pa., on the receiving end of a 5-0 shutout by the State College Little Lions, the District 6 champions.
The defeat was a tough one for Jen McCrady and her Foxes. But the victory in the WPIAL Class AAA championship game not only completed a season sweep of Penn-Trafford (Fox Chapel won a regular-season meeting by a 3-0 margin over the Warriors), it also represented a solid team effort that featured 18 unsuccessful Penn-Trafford penalty corners.
"They believe in themselves, and they believe in Alaina," McCrady said of senior goalie Alaina George. "The defense knows they can takes some risks because they know she has their back. They keep going for (defensive plays), and Alaina keeps stepping up huge. There's a reason things are going like that, and there's a point where something is going to go your way. Most importantly, our players didn't quit."
That can-do attitude paid off with 3:09 left in the first overtime when Pitz pounced on the ball that had deflected off Miller and put it in the goal to end the game.
"It all happened kind of in slow motion," McCrady said. "I saw a quick rebound, and the ball just kind of sat there it seemed like for 15 minutes. Finally, (Pitz) figured it out and swept it right in. It all unfolded so quickly. This team is a very, very good team. The past two games have come from the heart."
Pitz said Kate Hardiman, who had the only goal in the Foxes' 1-0 overtime victory over North Allegheny in the semifinals, got the ball in the scoring zone, and junior forward Rachel Wight took a shot that deflected off Miller.
"(The ball) was behind the goalie, and he tried to turn around, and I just hit it," she said. "There really isn't a better feeling."
Pitz said overtime seems to agree with the Foxes.
"We seem to get stronger," she said. "We thrive, and if they're fading, we're ready to be there. Penalty corners can be nerve-racking, but our defense is very strong, and our goalie is just the best."
Just before 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday, the Foxes' joy knew no bounds as senior forward Sammi Pitz pounced on a loose ball and slammed it into the cage behind Penn-Trafford goalie Harry Miller for the game's only goal and the Foxes' first WPIAL field hockey championship.
But the joy was short-lived. The Foxes boarded a bus at 11 a.m. the next day, and returned home from State College, Pa., on the receiving end of a 5-0 shutout by the State College Little Lions, the District 6 champions.
The defeat was a tough one for Jen McCrady and her Foxes. But the victory in the WPIAL Class AAA championship game not only completed a season sweep of Penn-Trafford (Fox Chapel won a regular-season meeting by a 3-0 margin over the Warriors), it also represented a solid team effort that featured 18 unsuccessful Penn-Trafford penalty corners.
"They believe in themselves, and they believe in Alaina," McCrady said of senior goalie Alaina George. "The defense knows they can takes some risks because they know she has their back. They keep going for (defensive plays), and Alaina keeps stepping up huge. There's a reason things are going like that, and there's a point where something is going to go your way. Most importantly, our players didn't quit."
That can-do attitude paid off with 3:09 left in the first overtime when Pitz pounced on the ball that had deflected off Miller and put it in the goal to end the game.
"It all happened kind of in slow motion," McCrady said. "I saw a quick rebound, and the ball just kind of sat there it seemed like for 15 minutes. Finally, (Pitz) figured it out and swept it right in. It all unfolded so quickly. This team is a very, very good team. The past two games have come from the heart."
Pitz said Kate Hardiman, who had the only goal in the Foxes' 1-0 overtime victory over North Allegheny in the semifinals, got the ball in the scoring zone, and junior forward Rachel Wight took a shot that deflected off Miller.
"(The ball) was behind the goalie, and he tried to turn around, and I just hit it," she said. "There really isn't a better feeling."
Pitz said overtime seems to agree with the Foxes.
"We seem to get stronger," she said. "We thrive, and if they're fading, we're ready to be there. Penalty corners can be nerve-racking, but our defense is very strong, and our goalie is just the best."
field