Final Friday night, watching Pottstown Hill Faculty (Pa.) heat up earlier than a area hockey recreation was an exhibition like I haven’t seen shortly.
There have been solely 16 gamers dressed, the very same quantity as a Check facet.
There wasn’t idle chatter, no sideline gossiping — simply area gamers of their demarcated bins, with 4 distinct colours of pinnies, taking part in a 4-a-side minigame, and a 3-a-side minigame. The coaches warmed up the 2 goalkeepers with crushing blasts.
You didn’t see sloppy passes or balls despatched unfastened throughout the Proving Grounds stadium turf. As an alternative, you have been watching a gaggle of very gifted gamers representing the No. 1 crew within the TopOfTheCircle.com Prime 10, preparing for his or her recreation towards Houston St. John’s (Tex.).
This all got here earlier than the Rams misplaced to St. John’s on a aim within the last 10 minutes.
However Hill was in a position to roar again the following day with a 4-1 win over Louisville Assumption (Ky.). Final evening got here one other interstate take a look at. It was towards the present No. 1 crew within the TopOfTheCircle.com Prime 10, Summit Oak Knoll (N.J.).
Oak Knoll, solely a few weeks in the past, bested an Emmaus (Pa.) facet representing a faculty that dwarfs the small New Jersey religious-based establishment. That recreation turned on a late penalty stroke because the Royals gained by one.
When Hill met up with Oak Knoll, the primary half was, as you may count on, scoreless. However Hill was in a position to notch two objectives within the third quarter and one within the fourth to expire 3-0 winners.
It’s been a really bizarre and odd final 5 – 6 days in scholastic area hockey, with quite a few defeats suffered by ranked sides. Doesn’t anybody wish to be the No. 1 crew in America?
