Lakeview field hockey just rewrote history, snatching their first-ever Berkshire League tournament championship Tuesday night! It took a nail-biting 2-1 win on penalty strokes against defending champ Nonnewaug after a 1-1 tie through two overtimes. Talk about clutch. We’re talking about a program that only opened its doors in fall 2024, making this victory a monumental one.
The Shootout That Nobody Saw Coming
You want drama? This shootout had it all. Lakeview player Rowan Kinsella told head coach Ashley LaBonte she was so nervous she didn’t even want to take a penalty stroke. But LaBonte, clearly a coach who knows her players, gave Kinsella the confidence boost she needed. And then, in true movie fashion, Kinsella had to retake her stroke after a goalie interference call! The girl who didn’t want to do it once had to do it twice. And what happened? She buried it, giving Lakeview the lead in the shootout.
“What’s funny is Rowan didn’t even want to do it,” LaBonte said after the game. “She was so nervous going into it. I was like, ‘Yes, you can do this. I have faith in you,’ and then she had to redo it. The girl that didn’t want to do it at all had to redo it for a second time. The fact that she was the one that put us ahead was huge for her.” Kinsella herself was just trying to process it, saying, “I honestly just blacked out, to be honest.” But she found the net, telling reporters, “I went up, and I looked up and shot it and it was in the goal. I’m so happy we won and I’m so proud of this entire team.”
But the heroics didn’t stop there. Goalie Kylie Reynolds, who admitted to being super nervous having never seen a shootout before, forced Nonnewaug’s final attempt wide, clinching that historic championship for Lakeview. Reynolds finished the game with a massive 19 saves, and her composure in that final moment was everything.
Battling Through to Overtime
This wasn’t just a shootout win, folks, this was a hard-fought battle from the jump. Nonnewaug, the No. 1 seed (13-2-3) and defending champs, struck first with Catherine Viveros scoring off an assist from Lila Farrelly with 5:28 left in the first quarter, taking a 1-0 lead. Lakeview (12-5-1), the No. 2 seed, had their work cut out for them, especially against Nonnewaug’s goalie Scozzafava, who had made 23 saves in two regular-season shutouts against Lakeview. Before this game, no Berkshire League opponent had scored against her. Think about that for a second!
But Lakeview broke the curse. Christina Barone fought like heck for the ball and scored with 12:50 left in the third quarter, tying the game 1-1. “Our goal in this game was truly to score once because we knew [Scozzafava] had not had a goal scored against her from a Berkshire League team,” LaBonte explained. “Once we got that one, we were fired up, and these girls have worked so hard, have come together as a team, and it was a true team effort today.”
Both teams pressed, Lakeview especially in the fourth, but neither could find the go-ahead goal. Two ten-minute overtimes came and went, with Barone having two close chances in the second OT, but Scozzafava (who ended with 22 saves!) kept them out or they went wide. It was destined for strokes, where Brooke Hurlburt also converted for Lakeview, matching Nonnewaug’s Viveros, setting up Kinsella’s dramatic moment.
What a ride for Lakeview! This team is just getting started, and they’ll take this incredible momentum into the Class S tournament, where they’re the No. 7 seed. Their first game is Tuesday, Nov. 10. Let’s see how far this historic run can go!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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