Contact: Jenni Brockman Juniors Sara Shelton and Carol Combs scored 4 and 5 goals respectively this fall, as St. Margaret’s (8-3-2 overall, 5-1-1 League of Independent Schools Conference) wrapped up a stellar season with a gritty 0-2 second-round loss to Norfolk Academy Friday at the 1999 Virginia Independent Schools state field hockey tournament. Unsure whether they could match the dominance of last year’s squad, which won both the 1998 L.I.S. regular season and tournament titles, this year’s team certainly proved, to themselves and their coach, it could. After clinching the L.I.S. regular season title with 5 wins, the undefeated and No. 1 ranked Scotties faced a lackluster Steward team in the opening round of the 1999 L.I.S. tournament, hosted by SMS on November 3. Center-midfielder Britt Faulkner, a junior day student from White Stone, scored the lone SMS goal of the afternoon. SMS lost to No. 4 Steward, 1-2. "A disappointing loss," commented head coach Kate Coghlan. St. Margaret’s 1999 varsity field hockey team, to those who know them, are anything but quitters. Not surprisingly, the Scotties responded with an impressive first round win in the V.I.S. state tournament on Tuesday, November 9. Junior Sara Newman, a forward, scored her second and third goals of the season to knock out No. 10 Covenant, 2-0, in Tappahannock. No. 7 St. Margaret’s played No. 2 Norfolk Academy evenly in Friday’s V.I.S. quarterfinal match, holding NA scoreless in the first half. NA went on to score two hard-fought goals in the second half and won 2-0. On Saturday, NA finish third in the state winning their consolation match, 1-0. "We played ruthless defense, definitely our best game the entire season," Coghlan said. "At times we dominated the game and Norfolk Academy had to work to earn both goals, by no means did they mow us over." St. Margaret’s Athletic Luncheon honoring fall athletes last Thursday awarded tri-captain Britt Faulkner, most valuable player. Faulkner, who was voted by her teammates and coaches for the award, was also named to the 1999 L.I.S. All-Star team along with her teammate Mary Emery, a senior. Sophomore Ruth Redfearn and junior Claire Stephenson were named co-most improved players; the following seniors (number of years a varsity player in parentheses) were also recognized: Laura Austin (3 years), tri-captain Mary Emery (4 years), Katie Farmer (4 years), Ginny Moncure (4 years), tri-captain Catherine Redfearn (3 years) and Carver Weakley (4 years). 1999 team statistics (total goals in parentheses) were: Carol Combs (5), Sarah Shelton (4), Sara Newman (3), Ginny Moncure (3), Britt Faulkner (2) and Katie Farmer (2). Kate Coghlan, in her first year as head coach, was thrilled to see her team finish the season playing their best hockey despite the loss to Norfolk Academy on Friday. "We played inspired hockey from August to November, indicative of the type of girls we have," she said. "What a phenomenal end to a great season."
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 7 Scotties Play No. 2 Norfolk Academy Tough,
End Season On High Note
Tri-captain, Most Valuable Player, and LIS All-Star Britton Faulkner.
