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Sports

Marshall Hangs On For Fifth Straight Win

Veoni goal all Statesmen Field Hockey needs in cross-town 1-0 victory over Madison

Paige Veoni’s goal early in the second half provided Marshall Field Hockey with all the offense it needed Wednesday night to win its fifth straight game and remain undefeated in the Northern Region.

In the win, Marshall's Megan McNabb withstood a flurry of action coming from corners in the final seconds to preserve her sixth shutout of the season.

Much of the first half was played near midfield as neither team put together any real threat. The Statesmen were the first to show signs of life after Maddie O’Beirne’s penalty shot was stopped by a diving Cristina Ceppi with about 15 minutes until halftime. Madison's Ceppi laid out to make another save a few minutes later, but Marshall’s pressure eventually paid off. After three consecutive corners three minutes into the second half, Veoni found a rebound bouncing to her stick and a wide open goal.

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“It was a matter of not letting ourselves get frustrated by opportunities that were missed,” head coach Christina Carroll said. “We try to have fun with it and not be so stressed out, because once things start to fall apart we start to yell at each other. It was a matter of calming down.”

The deficit seemed to spark Madison, and for the next 15 minutes it was the Warhawks who were creating opportunities. The Statesmen defense limited shots, though, and anything that did get through was turned aside by McNabb.

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Wednesday marked the first time in five games that Marshall didn’t hold a three goal advantage at some point, but Carroll believes the nature of the matchup provided her team with added motivation.

“We’ve been scoring three goals a game, or at least a couple,” she said. “It’s kind of hard when you only have one, it doesn’t feel like a lead at all. The girls are so ready for games like this, it’s the big Madison-Marshall rivalry. They get so pumped for this game anyway, I think even the one goal lead was enough to get momentum.”

The Statesmen have responded nicely to the loss of eight seniors, including last year’s starting goalkeeper, by amassing a 9-1 record in 2011. The lone loss came to powerhouse Tabb in an early season tournament, and the Statesmen haven’t allowed a goal in Liberty District play.

The Warhawks, meanwhile, have had a pleasantly surprise season. They’ve already exceeded their four wins from a year ago and now sit at 6-5. The biggest difference seems to be that the close games that weren’t going Madison’s way in the past now are. The loss ended the Warhawks’ perfect record in one goal games, which is now 4-1.

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