Sports

Field Hockey: Hilton’s 2 goals help Clippers end losing streak

CLIPPERS 2, BAYMEN 1

When the scoreboard clock at Hampton Bays High School reached 0:00, no field hockey sticks were raised in celebration by the Greenport/Southold players. There was no hooting and hollering, either.

But there was a good deal of relief.

Relief. Yes, that would be the word that may best describe the Clippers’ reaction to their first win in 25 days.

Madison Hilton scored twice (the second time with 7 minutes 13 seconds left in the second half) and Isabelle Torres saved a penalty stroke with 4:15 to go, allowing the Clippers to hold on for a 2-1 win on Monday. The result snapped a brutal five-game losing streak by the Clippers (2-6 overall and in Suffolk County Division IV), who were outscored by 20-1 during the skid.

Hilton, a freshman forward, was assisted on both of her goals by sophomore forward Madison Tabor. On the game-winning goal, Tabor knocked a ball forward for Hilton, who charged up the middle and put a shot by goalkeeper Ashlyn Von Bartheld, snapping a 1-1 tie.

Just 3:02 later, however, Hampton Bays (1-10, 0-9) had a prime opportunity to equalize when a penalty stroke was awarded. But Torres did well to glove aside the attempt by Rebecca Harris.

Harris, a senior midfielder, had tied the score at 1-1, driving a long shot into the far left side 5:35 into the second half.

Hilton had put the Clippers in front, 1-0, when she slammed in a shot from the left flank at 11:37.

Only 20 seconds after that, the Clippers had a chance to double their lead, but Sarah Tuthill’s penalty stroke was denied with a pad save by Von Bartheld, one of her 10 saves in the game.

That wasn’t the only scoring chance the Clippers failed to capitalize on. In the final half-minute of the first half, Tabor dribbled the ball from her own half of the field, ran in on goal and forced a kick save by Von Bartheld. With about 12 minutes left in the game, Tabor flipped a shot just wide right, with only Von Bartheld in her path.

The Clippers outshot the Baymen, 17-9.

Both teams shared more than the purple in their uniforms. The two bottom teams in Division IV have been struggling. Although Hampton Bays lost its seventh straight game, the Baymen showed vast improvement since their 8-2 loss to the Clippers on Sept. 11. That was the Clippers’ previous win.

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