CANTON – After generating a slew of offensive opportunities it couldn’t finish off in a decisive loss to No. 1 Uxbridge on October 3, the No. 2 Walpole field hockey team felt a potential need for a tweak to its attack.
The Porkers (14-1) got more of what they looked for Thursday night in their biggest challenge since, earning a 3-1 win over previously unbeaten No. 11 Canton.
Kate Schneider and Caroline Handwerk each scored in the third quarter to separate from a halftime draw, finally overcoming a standout job from Bulldogs goalie Shealyn Murphy (15 saves). Canton (11-1-3) and its high-powered attack responded by controlling much of the fourth quarter, but the Walpole defense limited it all the way through to just three shots on goal.
As the Porkers gear up for a run at a third straight Div. 1 state title, this was a meaningful win over a legitimate Div. 2 powerhouse to snap its 14-game unbeaten streak.
“Winning against a team like that shows a lot about our team and our hustle,” Schneider said. “I think winning like that, right before the postseason, is going to boost our confidence.”
“I thought Canton was skilled, they moved the ball well, they were a good team,” added Walpole head coach Jen Quinn. “So it was nice to see us rise to the occasion against a good team. One of the nicest things that I saw that we did was we made adjustments on the field, and we haven’t necessarily done that very well this year, so it was a good thing to see.”
Schneider has been a vital leader for Walpole all year in a preseason position switch from the forward line to center-midfielder. But after the offense scored just one goal against Uxbridge, Quinn and the coaching staff made the move to push Schneider – one of the Porkers’ best finishers – back up to her familiar center-forward position against Canton, along with a couple of other changes.
Freshman Eva Karacalidis starred in her debut at center-mid, helping the Porkers apply a wealth of offensive pressure in an 11-shot first half. Nine came in the second quarter after Emily Hagan’s first-quarter goal on a corner.
Walpole needed a better finishing touch again as Murphy blanked them in the second quarter, and Providence-commit Shannon Lane tallied an equalizer for Canton before the break. Schneider delivered, finishing off a feed from Emily Hagan in front – despite traffic around her – for the game-winning goal in the final four minutes of the third quarter.
“We wanted to start off at least the fourth quarter (with a lead),” Schneider said. “I honestly just put my stick on the ball and shot it – I couldn’t even see where I was shooting, someone was in front of me. (Quinn) was like, ‘Shoot on net, no matter what, you can’t get the perfect shot, just shoot.’ I just took that right when the ball was in front of me.”
Just three minutes later, Schneider’s shot-on-goal was deflected by a Canton defender toward the strong-side post, which Handwerk gathered and finished off for the insurance goal.
“We were lacking a little bit in the scoring and not putting them in when we need to,” Quinn said. “I think just moving (Schneider) back where she’s more comfortable, moving (Handwerk) back where she’s more comfortable, and (Karacalidis) looked great tonight. … The few opportunities that we had in Uxbridge that we couldn’t finish on, needed to be finished.”
As Walpole banged on the door for more offense, Canton’s attack responded regularly with strong transitions of its own. Bucknell-commit Carolyn Schiavo and Lane helped produce a 6-5 corners advantage for the Bulldogs – including three offensive corners as they mostly outplayed Walpole in the fourth.
Quinn felt the defense could improve on several things to further limit fellow powers down the line, but Grace Hagan, Kendal Cusack and Ella Dacey played a major role in the Porkers still only allowing just three total shots despite Canton’s elite firepower.
Once again, athleticism was a primary game-changer.
“I think that was an advantage for us, definitely our speed,” Quinn said. “It played a part in kind of beating them to some of those balls and just flustering them a little bit more.”
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