Warrior field hockey triumphs 1-0 over Titans

On September 12, the Fallbrook girls’ varsity field hockey team played their first home game of the season against the Poway Titans. Outstanding defenses kept the match scoreless through two 30-minute halves and a 10-minute overtime to send the game into penalty strokes. The Fallbrook goalie’s clutch performance set up a thrilling 1-0 victory for the Warriors.

In the first half, the Warriors controlled the tempo of the game and had possession of the ball for most of the period. Both teams played exceptional defense and left no room for a score.

Twenty minutes into the half, Poway had a fast break opportunity. However, the Warrior defense, led by Lizzie Eskue, broke up the Titans’ effort to get on the board first. The Warriors finished the half with more shots on goal, but the scoreboard remained 0-0.

Both teams pushed the ball early in the second half, but again, the defenses stood their ground. After several ticks into the half, Fallbrook’s Lydia Brambila took a good shot at the goal, but it went wide to the right.

The match continued in a similar fashion for the remainder of the half. With less than a minute left in regulation time, Poway obtained a late penalty corner in a chance to score. However, the Titans missed their opportunity, sending the game to overtime. It was no different, as both teams carried on their brilliant defensive plays. The game remained scoreless after the 10-minute period. This called for penalty strokes.

Poway’s first stroke went over the goal and their next two attempts were blocked and smothered by Fallbrook’s goalie, Jahna Jordan. On Fallbrook’s third stroke, Kyle Little finally put the ball into the goal. Jahna continued her show as she blocked Poway’s final two strokes to give her team the hard-fought victory.

“I was really nervous because it was my first varsity penalty stroke, but I guess I pulled through and we won,” said Jahna after the game.

Later, Fallbrook coach Kathy Waite added, “We had a very strong overtime, and I’d say a pretty good team effort. It was nice to win, even in strokes.”

Junior varsity wins as well

The junior varsity team also faced the Titans on September 12 and won with a score of 1-0. Fallbrook managed to keep the ball on Poway’s side of the field for the entire first half. However, the Titan defense kept the Warriors from scoring.

In the second half, Fallbrook’s Abi Knox scored a goal to put the Warriors up 1-0. It was the second consecutive game in which she has scored. Fallbrook continued its style of play and marched on to victory.

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