EDWARDSVILLE – Mattie Norton, a junior forward on Edwardsville High’s field hockey team, thinks that the Tigers are starting to go on a roll at exactly the right time.
Her two goals in the opening 10 minutes of the game, her eighth and ninth of the season, were key as the Tigers defeated Ladue, Mo. 3-1 Tuesday evening at Tiger Stadium.
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“We played a great game,” Norton said in an interview following the game. “There was a few times in the middle where we could have done things better, but we played consistent throughout the entire game, and we’re getting our winning streak back.”
Norton described her two goals as a team effort on both counts.
“I scored the goals, but it comes from a whole team effort,” Norton said. “The (midfielders) and defense moved it up the field, and I had great passes to the outlet of Rachel Goebel. I just had the opportunity to shoot, and the goalie was off, and it went in.”
The Tigers later conceded a goal that cut their lead to 2-1, but the defense held firm throughout the rest of the contest, taking control in the second half and getting an insurance goal from Goebel to put things away.
“We took control in the second half,” Norton said, “and we made sure we got the ball down the field, kept it in their side as much as we could, and just continued our control.”
The Tigers have back-to-back games on Thursday and Friday, at home against Kirkwood and on the road at Marquette In Chesterfield, Mo., before winding up the regular season at home against Westminster Christian and Lafayette. After that will be the annual Metro Tournament, which is the de facto St. Louis area championship. Norton is looking forward to the final weeks of the season and the Metro.
“These final few weeks, I hope we play stronger than we did today,” Norton said, “but as strong as we did, play consistent and keep going and keep working.”
And Norton likes her team’s chances to do well.
“Yeah, we do,” Norton said with a smile. “We’re feeling this one. We got this.”
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