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(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption: SWEET MOVE: Stuart defender Mary Jane Sweetland rushes up the field with the ball in recent action. Sweetland's solid work on the back line has helped the Tartans get off to a 5-2 start.end of caption

Stuart Field Hockey Gets Battle-Tested In Preparing for Late Season Challenges

By Bill Alden

The Stuart Country Day field hockey team viewed its clash with Lawrenceville School last Wednesday as a vital early-season litmus test.

Roaring out of the gate this season with a 4-1 mark, Stuart was primed to test its game against the Big Red, the defending state Prep champions.

In the early stages of the game played at Lawrenceville, the Tartans had plenty of possession but couldn't finish things inside the circle.

With the heat getting to both teams, the bigger Lawrenceville team began to wear down Stuart in the second half with some intense pressure. The Big Red's persistence finally paid off as Lauren Alfaro knocked in a rebound with 11 minutes remaining.

Alfaro's score proved to be the difference as Lawrenceville held off a determined late charge by Stuart for a 1-0 win.

While Stuart head coach Missy Bruvik was disappointed with the narrow defeat, she was heartened by how her team battled Lawrenceville.

"I think we did a pretty good job of handling that kind of pressure on the defensive end," said Bruvik, whose team was outshot 15-2 by the Big Red.

"I also think we had our opportunities on the breakaways. It was a fast-paced game. Their defense was tough, they denied us the shooting opportunities."

In Bruvik's view, the loss was an important learning experience for her team. "We'll practice our one versus one skills," vowed Bruvik. "We know what we need to work on. That's what it's all about, always being attentive to what level you need to take your game to."

The Tartans' defense showed last Wednesday that it's already at a high level. "I thought [defenders] Ami Patel and Mary Jane Sweetland played well," said Bruvik who got a sparkling 10-save effort from goalkeeper Christa Goeke. "I thought Alice Murnen had a super game in the midfield."

For Bruvik, the team's solid start promises more super efforts down the road. "All the games we have played have been tough, we like that," said Bruvik, whose club notched one-goal wins over Princeton Day School and Moorestown Friends and fought hard in one-goal losses to Lawrenceville and Steinert. "There haven't been any blow-out games. We've learned something from each of those games."

The Tartans learned a valuable lesson from the Lawrenceville loss that should help them in the tight games they face through the fall.

"We need to work on communications on the offensive end," explained Bruvik, whose club improved to 5-2 with a 2-0 win over Lawrence last Monday and will play at WW/P-S on October 1 before hosting Pennington on October 4.

"I thought there were times today when we didn't let each other know we were there. You have to speak."

Stuart's players are dedicated to soaking up as much as they can as they look to go a step further than last year when they went to the state Prep semifinals and the Mercer County Tournament championship game.

"I like the kids' reflection after the game; they said they are that much more anxious to get back on the field," said Bruvik with a smile "I'm sure we'll see them again somewhere down the road."