Somerset Berkley beats Westwood in field hockey

After outscoring opponents by a gaudy 173-3 margin during the regular season, one question facing the defending state champion Somerset Berkley field hockey team was how it would it handle a tight game when the level of play ratcheted up in the Division 1 South tournament.

That has yet to be answered as the top-seeded and unbeaten Raiders imposed their will on their 21st straight foe this fall on Wednesday night in Braintree with a 4-0 win over No. 4 Westwood, earning a return trip to Taunton for the sectional final on Saturday.

Cami Crook found the back of the cage twice, while Alex Millar and Lucas Crook added goals for Somerset Berkley, which has now scored 13 times without allowing a goal in three postseason games.

“I was happy that they are playing as well as they are right now, but I was a little worried because of our schedule and a lot of teams won’t play us nonleague,” said Somerset Berkley coach Jen Crook. “So I’m happy with the way they have responded.”

Three of the Raiders’ four goals came off or as a result of a penalty corner, where Somerset Berkley had a 13-4 advantage on the Wolverines, which finishes the best season in program history at 17-2-2.

Millar, who controlled the game defensively from his center back spot, gave SB a 1-0 lead on a penalty stroke, which was awarded when Cami Crook’s bid on a corner was blocked by the body of a Westwood defender, rifling it high into the top left corner. Lucas Crook made it 2-0 with 4:51 left in the half when a Millar cross through the circle on a corner deflected to him for an open look.

Cami Crook doubled the lead with a pair in the second half, converting a pretty reverse-stick and tipping in a shot off a corner.

“I think our corners are pretty good,” said coach Crook. “Against Needham and even a little bit tonight we were struggling, but if you get a lot of them, some of them are bound to go in.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2ColS1u