Field Hockey Survives Haddon Heights Scare

With Collingswood nursing a 2-1 lead and just six minutes left in a tight game, Panthers junior Melissa Cunningham stepped up, took a deep breath, and scored on a key penalty stroke, icing Tuesday's game for the Panthers.

“No pressure,” Cunningham joked after the game.

The penalty stroke gave Collingswood a 3-1 lead and momentum, which they were able to hold-on to for a road victory over Haddon Heights High School in their first nighttime game of the season.

“I had all the confidence in the world in (Cunningham),” Panthers coach Val Dayton said. “She always works so hard and is such a competitor out there. She works on those strokes in practice all the time, and I think she’s been waiting for this one.”

Cunningham put Collingswood on the board 10 minutes into the first half, when Panthers executed a corner nicely. Four minutes later, sophomore Krista LaMaina hit home with a nice shot from the wing, giving Panthers a 2-0 lead that held until the half.

For as well as Collingswood played in the first half, tables completely turned in the second.

With 17 minutes to go, Garnets chopped the Panthers' lead in half, off of a fast break. Soon after, Heights sent the home crowd into a temporary frenzy, as they appeared to tie the game off a corner.

But that goal was waved-off, with referees alleging the ball never cleared the 18-yard box.

“My heart skipped a beat there for a second,” Dayton said. “I think I started less than five minutes into the half, though.

“And it’s something we’ve been struggling with a lot this season,” Dayton said of her team’s second-half performance. “It’s been a theme with this group. We’ve put together some really nice first halves—and not that we play badly in the second—we’re just not playing the same.”

Dayton immediately called a timeout, and Panthers responded, communicating on defense and keeping the ball out of their half of the field just as they did in the first 30 minutes.

“I just told the girls they weren’t playing at all like they were in the first half,” said Dayton. “We needed to find that team (again).”

Panthers were able to rebound, their offense putting pressure back on Heights’ defense, forcing consecutive corners that led to Cunningham’s heroics.

“We were able to pull together as a team and as a unit tonight,” Cunningham said.

The Panthers next take on the winless Overbrook High School team this Thursday, their only contest this week.