More News

If there is a perfect example of home-field advantage, it is the Blair field hockey team and how it uses its speed on its new artificial surface.

"The turf changes the whole level of the game," said Blazer head coach Brook Franceschini. "Plus, our three forwards are really fast."

One of those "really fast" forwards, senior captain Nellie Garlow, scored the only goal in No. 4 Blair's 1-0 win over Sherwood in the second round of the Class 4A South playoffs.

The game started out well for the Warriors, a team much better than its 3-10 record indicates. Sherwood controlled the action for the first 15 minutes with superior ball possession, not allowing the Blazers (8-5) to clear its zone thanks to excellent blocking on free hits.

However, there wasn't much in the way of chances. Garlow was excellent streaking down the sidelines, but early Blair possessions ended with infractions or erred hits, giving the ball right back to Sherwood.

The second half, however, followed a different script.

Blair constantly harassed Sherwood goalie Claire Baweja (6 saves), who was surrounded by bodies throughout the second half. And after continuous pressure in the crease via corners, chances, or blocking clearing attempts, Garlow finally broke through for Blair and put a shot past Baweja for the decisive lead.

"The team who wins is the one with the most shots," she said. "We've been working on spreading out, and the turf makes it really easy to transition."

Its reward for the victory? A regional quarterfinal date at top-seeded Paint Branch on Tuesday. Paint Branch won 1-0 when the two teams met on Sept. 24.

Yet the Blazers remain optimistic.

"We didn't play our best game against them and we only lost by one goal," said Garlow.

Added Franceschini: "It's going to be a big challenge for us going to [Paint Branch's field] and playing on their grass. But one thing that is motivating the girls: The 4A South semifinals are at Blair, so they'd love a chance to come back here and play at least one more time."