Warriors win field hockey opener

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

Field hockey play for Fallbrook High School began Aug. 19, and the Warriors won both the varsity game and the junior varsity match.

The Warriors hosted Chaparral High School. The score of the varsity game was 5-2, and the junior varsity prevailed by a 2-0 margin.

"Very nice," said Fallbrook coach Debbie Berg.

Fallbrook began the season with 18 girls on the varsity roster and 14 players on the junior varsity, although that includes one player on each squad who is injured and cannot yet play. "We have an adequate bench, better than usual," Berg said.

Berg did not have to cut any players but was pleased with the turnout. "It was great. We had some summer workouts and turnout was high there as well, so we hit the ground running," she said.

Seven of the varsity girls, including the injured one, are seniors. All four freshmen in the program are on the junior varsity team, and the varsity includes three sophomores.

Fallbrook had a 4-0 halftime lead in the varsity game Aug. 19. "We had it in hand, and every single player on our bench played," Berg said.

Berg utilized both varsity goalies against the Pumas; sophomore Kacey Sanchez played the first half and made two saves while junior Alex Farquhar was in the nets for the second half and made three saves. Chaparral had no short corners in the first half and two in the second half.

All five of Fallbrook's goals were scored by juniors. Mallory Sehnert had three goals and added an assist. Erica Garcia scored one goal and also contributed an assist. Lucy Loomis placed one shot into the net.

Eleven girls from each team are on the field at a time, so the junior varsity only had two substitutes including one goaltender. Sophomore goalkeeper Myah Pack played the first half while junior Alysha Roderick was the second-half goalie in the shutout.

Berg stressed that fitness will determine who prevails in close games. "That's where it's won or lost on the field," she said.

The coronavirus shutdown delayed the 2020-21 season, so there were no field hockey playoffs. Fallbrook won the CIF Division II championship in 2019, and Berg coached the Warriors.

"We're working to get back to that same level of fitness," Berg said.