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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Scotty Sports Corner
By Hollis Duncan
St. Margaret's School Staff Writer
Hockey Loses Playoff Squeaker
Third-Seed Volleyball Upset by No. 6 Covenant in LIS Tourney
Field Hockey: The final record doesn't reflect the high caliber of St. Margaret's varsity field hockey team, said Head Coach Kate Coghlan. "The girls played phenomenal hockey this fall, contesting every game right until the end. Every win was a big win, and every loss was close," she explained.
Britton Faulkner (left) of Irvington and Carol Combs (right) of Statesboro, GA led the Scotties in assists and scoring, respectively. The duo combined for 16 goals, 14 assists this fall.
The team's five wins speak volumes about its talent. When the Scotties were on, they were unstoppable. St. Margaret's proved its prowess to league and non-league opponents alike, posting lopsided wins like 7-0 against Christchurch, 6-0 and 5-0 against Northumberland, and 5-1 against Virginia Episcopal. In addition, three players were named as league all-stars.
And with three ties and a trio of one-point losses, including a 2-1 double-overtime loss to Covenant in the LIS tournament on November 1, no school can claim to have dominated St. Margaret's at any point this fall.
This year's team was powered by seven seniors: forwards Elizabeth LeBlanc of Dallas, Sara Newman of White Stone and Claire Stephenson of Tappahannock, defensive back Sarah Muller of Tappahannock, midfielders Britton Faulkner of Irvington and Carol Combs of Georgia, and goalkeeper Alison Wasserman of Baltimore.
Wasserman, who finished with a brilliant 15-save performance against third-ranked St. Stephen's-St. Agnes in the state playoffs on November 7 in Alexandria, earned recognition from both her coaches. "Alison was incredible!" said Coghlan. "She saved her best stuff for last, and really was key for us the entire season," added Assistant Coach Whitfield Mastin. Combs led all scorers with 12 goals this season; she also had 4 assists. Posting 10 assists and 4 goals, Faulkner was the year's team assist leader.
The Scotties were ranked fourteenth heading to the state playoffs and finished 2-5 in the LIS, 5-7-3 overall. "The whole team, every individual player - especially the seniors - should be proud of our season," Coghlan said.
Volleyball: Third-ranked St. Margaret's closed out its 2000 varsity volleyball season with a never-give-up attitude and cohesive play against an underrated Covenant School squad in the first round of the LIS tournament at SMS's Ball Memorial Gymnasium. The team's gritty October 31 performance resulted in a five-game match (13-15, 15-4, 15-9, 9-15, 8-15).
5'10" Brittany Walker leads a cast of six seniors who will return next year. A day student from Callao, Walker is recognized for her agility and strong serving.
Head Coach Natalie LaPrade added that she was proud of Juniors Rachelle Slotnick of Tappahannock, Brittany Walker of Callao and Carey Ballard of South Carolina, who kept Covenant on its toes by placing consistent, hard serves over the net. Sophomore Ann Kramer Osburn and junior Shannon Davis, both of Tappahannock, forced many rallies, diving to the floor with scrappy "digs" to keep the ball in play.
Other standouts on this year's team include Lindsay Neist of Howertons and Paige Winebrenner of Tappahannock. At 5'11", Neist poses a towering threat to opposing teams. Her agility and quickness aid her offensive game, where Neist is a frequent recipient of set-up "spike" plays. Winebrenner, who is 5'8", also plays the net well. She moves aggressively and sees the whole court, according to LaPrade.
The Scotties will miss the spirited leadership and aggressive play of senior co-captain Cathy Ryan of Tappahannock next year, but will return with a full and talented roster of players that includes six rising seniors who look to put St. Margaret's in strong contention in 2001.
