(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption: ON THE ATTACK: Hun School senior field hockey attacker Kara Colicchio races up the field in recent action. Colicchio scored a goal to help Hun beat Princeton Day School 3-1 last Wednesday and then notched the game-tying goal as Hun edged Peddie 2-1 in overtime last Saturday. In upcoming action, Hun will play PDS on October 24 in the opening round of the state Prep A tournament and then host Hamilton the next day in the opening round of the Mercer County Tournament.

Hun Field Hockey Showing Aggressiveness, Riding Surge Into Prep, County Tournaments

Bill Alden

It didn’t seem like anything special when the Hun School field hockey team earned a 1-1 tie at Blair two Saturdays ago.

After all, the tie left Hun with a pedestrian 4-6-2 record as the Raiders continued to exhibit their habit of not cashing in on their chances.

But Hun head coach Kathy Quirk noticed something different about her team that day.

“We really started shooting a lot of shots in that game,” recalled Quirk, whose team’s goal against Blair was scored by senior star Addie Godfrey. “The girls saw they could shoot and be aggressive.

Since the tie with Blair, Hun has reeled off two impressive wins, topping Princeton Day School 3-1 last Wednesday and then knocking off powerful Peddie 2-1 in overtime on Saturday.

Emotions ran high as the Raiders topped Peddie. “I just think we frustrated Peddie; they were ranked No. 2 in the area and I don’t think they thought we were going to be anything to be worried about,” said Quirk, who got a second-half goal from senior Kara Colicchio with Godfrey notching the game winner.

“We are playing a different game lately. We had a big crowd for homecoming; it was senior day and we dedicated the game to them and they got our goals.”

Hun’s players showed dedication collectively as they fought back from a 1-0 halftime deficit.

“We knew we had to keep fighting,” said Quirk, who got a superb 18-save effort from junior goalie Taylor Landis-Miller in the victory over the Falcons.

“We scored and then we contained them. Both of us had an equal number of chances. We came out fired up and we played well on the turf.”

It came as no surprise that the fiery Godfrey notched the game winner. “She took the ball at the 50 and just weaved through their defense; it was a beautiful goal,” said Quirk.

“She had a facial injury in our game against Stuart and was out for some games. She got hit in the jaw with a stick and was badly bruised …. I didn’t think she would come back. She had already hurt her hand and had stitches on her eye. She is an inspiration. She is just able to move the ball down the field. I think a lot of that has to do with her ice hockey background. She is not afraid to take the ball with one hand and make a play.”

Godfrey’s classmate, Colicchio, has been showing a new assertiveness herself in recent play.

“Kara has really stepped up in the last two games,” said Quirk, who has also been getting good work up front from Jackie Evans and Alix Aidekman. “She is the kind of player who has been great in practice and then seems to freeze in the games.”

Hun’s recent success has earned the Raiders the fourth seed in the upcoming state Prep A tournament with a home game and rematch against No. 5 PDS on October 24.

“It is going to be tough since we already beat them; we know they will be trying very hard,” said Quirk, whose team is now 6-6-2 overall after going 3-0-2 in its last five games.

“We have to try to hold down the Jenkins sisters like we did last week. We need to keep doing what we have been doing. Taylor has to stay strong; our defense has to mark and our offense has to put it in the back of the cage.”

The character the Raiders have shown in their late-season surge has Quirk confident that her team can do some damage in the Prep A tourney and the Mercer County Tournament where it is seeded No. 8 and will host No. 9 Hamilton on October 25.

“We could’ve folded when we were 3-6-1 but they were persistent,” said Quirk.

“The seniors have provided leadership. The girls have been aggressive. We have been working our goalies over in practice and then doing the same thing in games.”

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