By Duncan Nixon
Correspondent
Field hockey is a sport that is somewhat new at Fluvanna County High. It is like lacrosse, in number of players on the field and a purpose to fire more goals into a net than the opposition does, but with a lot less scoring. Controlling a fast-moving ball with a stick that is only flat on one side and keeping the ball on the ground is a difficult skill set. The Flucos this season under Head Coach Jennifer Payne have posted three wins already, topping non-Jefferson District opponents Northumberland High, Highland Springs High and the Steward School. They have not had too much success in Jefferson District play.
On Sept. 26 they hosted Orange County. The Flucos and the Hornets seemed to be evenly matched in the first half. Orange scored an early goal, after only five minutes of play. The Hornets did control the ball for longer periods of time in the first half, but the Flucos with seniors Emmalynn Whyte and Ava Schwartz leading their attack were playing well. Junior goalie Savannah Peterson was tested on several occasions but was able to turn the Hornets away. The first half ended with the score Orange 1 and Fluvanna 0.
The third quarter was a disaster for the Flucos. The Hornets were relentless in their attack and the Flucos were unable to generate scoring opportunities. Orange made it 2-0 with a goal in the first two minutes. Peterson made several good saves after that goal, but a hard shot that she had no chance of stopping made it 3-0 with 9:45 left in the quarter. Sophomore Mallory Esch showed some good ball control with her stick but the Flucos couldn’t make enough successful passes to threaten. As the third quarter wound down, the Hornets scored twice more for an insurmountable 5-0 lead. Both of these goals were from point blank range and the goalie was certainly not to be faulted.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Hornets scored again and the game was ended on the mercy rule with the score 6-0. After the game, Payne noted that Orange is one of the strongest teams in the Jefferson District. She applauded Peterson for her play in goal, as she recorded a number of saves on hard shots. Payne also noted that senior midfielder Ashlyn Wolkowicz played her usual strong game.
The field hockey schedule is a heavy one, with nearly twice as many contests as the football team. On Oct. 1, the Flucos hosted Louisa County. On Oct.3, they will travel to E.C. Glass. On Oct. 8, they will play at Monticello High. On Oct. 10 they will host Charlottsville High. After that four more Jefferson District contests and the regular season is over before Nov. arrives.
Payne has a roster with ten underclassmen and a JV squad of 19 players, so the prospects for the future are promising.
