| Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, TRIB-LIVE
In order for the Fox Chapel field hockey team to mount a successful title defense in the WPIAL Class AAA championship game at North Allegheny’s Newman Stadium, the Foxes had to go on the offensive.
The No. 2-seeded Foxes (14-1) dictated the pace of the game and repeatedly pushed the action deep into No. 1 Pine-Richland’s defensive zone. The persistence paid off as Fox Chapel toppled the Rams, 3-1, to win the fourth WPIAL title in program history and a second in as many seasons.
“That’s been the case for us in the playoffs, we were in the zone,” Fox Chapel coach Jen McCrady said. “We know that if we keep knocking, then the doors are eventually going to open for us. We just got to remember to keep the pressure up, and the scoring is going to come.”
Sydney Condron, Paige Ryan and North Carolina commit Abby Pitcairn each scored one goal to propel McCrady’s team past a Rams defense that refused to quit under a relentless offensive attack.
Condron scored first for the Foxes with 5 minutes left in the first half when she corralled a rebound back toward the Rams’ net and trickled it past the goalkeeper.
“I saw Paige Ryan hit the ball in from the side, and then I saw it go off the goalie’s pad,” Condron said. “I was in the right spot, and I hit it in from there.”
Pine-Richland goalkeeper Kierstin Coup stood tall in net and made nine saves to keep her team in contention. Besides making outstanding defensive plays in the midfield and in her team’s own zone, senior Chalinda Schleicher backed up Coup with four defensive saves.
“Those two girls stepped up big for us, because Fox Chapel had so many corner opportunities,” Pine-Richland coach Donna Stephenson said. “We just didn’t give ourselves enough opportunities. We didn’t get in their circle enough, and we just kept passing it to their sticks.”
Sarah Metzmaier scored Pine-Richland’s only goal.
Fox Chapel and Pine-Richland (15-2) advanced to the PIAA tournament.