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BHS field hockey scores win

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Friday October 26, 2001

The Berkeley High field hockey team got a double treat on Thursday, scoring their first two goals of the season and picking up their first win. 

Miriam Bellows scored the Yellowjackets’ first goal of the season late in the first half, and Veronica Searles scored the game-winner with just a minute left in the game to beat Marin Catholic, 2-1. The win lifted Berkeley’s record to 1-6-1, while Marin Catholic dropped to 1-1-3. 

After going seven full games without scoring, Berkeley went on the offensive early on Thursday, making several rushes on the Marin Catholic net, but were unable to get any shots. The Wildcats could only mount a couple of counter-attacks under the ’Jackets’ heavy pressure, although Anna Cross showed remarkable power in putting balls into the Berkeley crease. 

With two minutes left in the first half, Berkeley earned a long corner. Merideth Gaber put the ball across the Marin Catholic crease, and Bellows calmly put a shot past sprawling goalkeeper Mary Mahoney to finally break the Berkeley scoring drought. 

“That was just awesome,” Bellows said after the game. “I didn’t think I would make it, but I did.” 

A minute later, Gaber appeared to score on a long penalty shot, but the officials called it back on a Berkeley infraction, and the ’Jackets had to settle for a 1-0 halftime lead. 

But the Wildcats came back strong in the second half, as Cross continued to put dangerous balls toward the Berkeley goal. Karey Palacek nearly scored early in the half, but Berkeley goalkeeper Erin Meggessy made a nice reaction save to keep Marin Catholic off the board. 

Minutes later, however, Cross put a long corner through the Berkeley crease. Danielle Silverman deflected the ball right to Palacek, who slotted the ball past Meggessy to tie the game. 

Meggessy made one more clutch save in the half, kick-saving a long Cross shot. 

With time ticking down, it looked as if the ’Jackets would have to settle for a moral victory. But they earned a short corner with a minute left. In a well-practiced set play, Bellows stopped Alex Pauley’s cross dead and Searles came out blasting. Her shot was deflected over Mahoney’s shoulder for the winning goal. After the final whistle blew soon thereafter, the ’Jackets celebrated wildly, dog-piling in the middle of the field. 

“Our players deserved to win one,” Berkeley coach Amy Meehan said. “They’ve worked super-hard in practice. They’ve been the better team for a while, and they finally put it all together.” 

One Berkeley player said the victory might finally get the team some attention. 

“We’ve been struggling to get respect around school, and that comes with winning,” Joanna Hoch said. “Hopefully this will help.”