Week 1: Centaurs take season opener, 4-3

A confidence builder?

As Woodstock Academy field hockey co-head coach Gerry LaMontagne pointed out, that goes without saying.

The Centaurs were sky high after a 4-3 win over Somers/Rockville cooperative in their season-opening game on Thursday at the Bentley Athletic Complex.

"We were really afraid that we weren't going to have a season. Winning our first game especially with the expectations we had coming in from last year, sets the bar a little higher. We're really glad that we got it and even if we didn't, we had really great spirit," senior goalie Ava Basak said.

The Centaurs overcame adversity before the season, waiting to see who would step up and coach the team.

They breathed a sigh of relief when LaMontagne and Donte Adams both stepped up to take the reins.

There was more adversity to overcome in the opener.

The Centaurs went up, 1-0, on a Sophie Petrella goal with 4 minutes, 19 seconds left in the first quarter.

But the Spartans rallied behind the stick of Alyssa Reynolds who scored two second quarter goals to give the visitors a 2-1 halftime lead.

That's when Centaurs sophomore Grace Pokorny stepped up.

She took a pass from Abby Converse to tie the game with 8:19 left in the third quarter.

She put the Centaurs ahead off a rebound with 11:38 to play.

"Honestly, I was just trying to get it on net and maybe have someone deflect it in. I was just lucky they went in," Pokorny said.

Pokorny, who also plays ice hockey for the Centaurs, will be a key this season.

"She will be a stalwart, a player to watch and other teams will probably be finding out about her pretty fast," LaMontagne said of Pokorny.

The day wasn't over yet.

Audrey Molin tied it with 9:38 left for Somers/Rockville.

But with 2;33 to play, senior Chloe Nason broke in from the right side and sent it across the mouth of the goal where it found the left corner for the game winner.

"That was so amazing. I'm so proud of her. She got it right in that corner - an amazing shot," Pokorny said.

Nason wasn't the only senior who delivered.

"We had a lot of great senior leadership (Thursday). Ella (Musumeci) was great just keeping people on point and being a field general; Ava was a great leader in goal making sure what the girls knew what to do and I complimented Ainsley (Morse) for her work on defense," LaMontagne said.