Warwick’s varsity field hockey team came from behind to beat Cedar Crest 2-1 on a Thursday night in September 2015.
Crest strikes first
Cedar Crest opened the scoring with 21:02 left in the first half, finishing a well-placed pass to take a 1-0 lead. Warwick was held scoreless through the first half.
Thirty seconds that changed the game
The Warriors finally broke through in the second half. Warwick tied the game with 14:11 remaining, and just over 30 seconds later scored again for what proved to be the winning goal.
Three different Warwick players recorded assists, a sign of the team’s ball movement once it found its rhythm.
Efficient offense, steady defense
Warwick managed only six shots in the game but converted two of them, a 33 percent success rate against Cedar Crest’s goalkeeper.
At the other end, the Warriors’ defense and goalkeeper held firm. Cedar Crest fired eight shots, and Warwick’s keeper stopped seven of them, allowing only the first-half goal.
(An earlier version of this story said Warwick had eight shots on goal. The Warriors had six.)
JV result
In the junior varsity game, Cedar Crest won 3-0.
Field hockey in the L-L League
Field hockey is one of the marquee fall sports in the Lancaster-Lebanon League, which has produced numerous state champions and Division I college players. Lancaster County is widely considered one of the country’s hotbeds for the sport, and league schedules are packed with tight, low-scoring games where a single goal can decide the outcome.
Comebacks like Warwick’s are especially valuable in that environment. Penalty corners, defensive structure and goalkeeping often dictate results, and a team that can score in quick succession can swing a game in a matter of moments.
About the game
In high school field hockey, games consist of two 30-minute halves, with the clock running down. Teams of 11, including a goalkeeper, use flat-faced sticks to move a hard ball, and goals can be scored only from inside the shooting circle, a semicircle about 16 yards from the goal. Corners, awarded for defensive fouls in the circle and certain other infractions, are among the best scoring opportunities.
Cedar Crest
Based in Lebanon, Cedar Crest is a Lancaster-Lebanon League rival whose teams regularly meet Warwick in section play. The Falcons came into the game looking to protect an early lead, but Warwick’s quick strikes in the second half flipped the result.
Looking ahead
The win gave the Warriors momentum in section play as the fall season moved into the heart of the schedule. With a goalkeeper in form and an attack capable of quick strikes, Warwick showed it could compete in one-goal games, the kind that so often decide league standings.
Close games and league standings
In the Lancaster-Lebanon League, many games are decided by a single possession or a single goal, and close wins add up in the standings. Teams that learn to manage the final minutes, protecting a lead, avoiding fouls and executing under pressure, often find themselves near the top when the postseason arrives.
Rivals from Lebanon County
Cedar Crest, based in Lebanon, is a frequent league opponent for Warwick, and games between the two programs have often been competitive.
Fan support
Close games bring the best out of student sections, and Warwick’s home crowd often plays a role in tight contests. For players, a narrow win in front of classmates and families is one of the season’s highlights.
The win was one more step in a long league season.
Coaches praised the team’s composure in the closing minutes and its ability to make key plays when it mattered most.
This article was originally published in September 2015.