F.S. Key schools Winters Mill, 7-1

White scores three more as Eagles improve to 4-1

`We are back,' says coach

Field hockey

High Schools

Francis Scott Key is back.

That's the message the Eagles, who had a rare losing season a year ago, wanted to send to the rest of Carroll County after their 7-1 rout of host Winters Mill yesterday.

"Yes, we are back," Francis Scott Key coach Alison Weiss said. "The girls worked really hard in the offseason, and we only lost three starters. We're a lot stronger than we were last year."

Key (4-1) is an aggressive team that overwhelmed the younger, inexperienced Winters Mill squad, playing its first varsity season without seniors.

Melinda White continued her torrid early-season run with three goals and one assist; she now has seven goals and seven assists.

White said that South Carroll's winning the Class 3A state title and Westminster's runner-up finish in the state in Class 4A helped inspire Key players who struggled to a 5-8 record last year.

The Eagles had gone 30-12-3 in Weiss' first three years and had long been a field hockey powerhouse, winning at least 10 straight region titles at one point.

"Seeing [South Carroll and Westminster] was a kick in the stomach," White said. "It was an awakening. We want it more this year."

Laura Lamb added a goal and an assist, and Alicia Thompson, Nina Montgomery and Randee Black each scored once.

The Eagles took a quick lead with White scoring 76 seconds into the game. They broke the game open with five goals in just over 20 minutes for a 6-0 lead early in the second half.

Thompson already has four goals this season for an Eagles team that has scored 21 in just five games and has two overtime wins. She said Key really wants to show that last year's sub-.500 season won't happen again.

"We want to prove a point to everyone across the county that we're back and we're strong," Thompson said.

The Eagles were too strong for Winters Mill (1-5) right from the start, repeatedly pushing the ball into the Falcons' end throughout the game. Key had 24 shots on goal; the Falcons managed four.

Winters Mill had few scoring chances until Michelle Scanlan scored on a 10-yard shot from the right side with 13:59 left. That made the score 6-1, but Black got the final Key goal just 1:28 later after a scramble in front.

Winters Mill coach Amber Gatts, a former North Carroll player, said her players are going through a sometimes painful learning process and that she has lots of faith in them. Allison Pfisterer and Jaquie Lard played well, and goalie Janelle Averill made 18 saves.

"They never quit today," Gatts said. "They have so much heart."