By Allison Goldsmith
I&M Sports Editor

The field hockey team kept its playoff hopes alive this week with a 3-1 win at home over Wareham Saturday and a 4-0 home victory over Chatham Monday.

The Whalers improved to 6-6-3 overall on the season and with 15 points need three more in the final three games to advance to the postseason. The Whalers can advance with two wins, one win and one tie or three ties in those games.

Nantucket was scheduled to play at Scituate yesterday, too late for this edition of Sports, at Bourne on Friday and at Martha’s Vineyard on Sunday. Earlier in the season the Whalers defeated Scituate 3-0 and tied both Bourne and Martha’s Vineyard, all at home.

With the two wins this week the Whalers have shown a consistent level of play and have set a goal of not just slipping into the playoffs, but going in with nine wins.

“I think we can be there. Right now our goal is to get 21 points and I think they are confident enough to do it,” head coach Lori Moran said. “If we work hard and stay at the level of play we have shown in the last two games, I feel confident.”

Against Wareham and Chatham, Nantucket continued to rely on a bevy of weapons, notching three different scorers in each game. Cassie Moran, Karina Ramirez, Grace Ann Tornovish, Shellee Dyer and Fraser Long were all in on the scoring action this week for the Whalers.

“Other teams that play us, they can’t just direct their attention to one player,” Moran said.

The confidence level has also risen as the trust factor in the interchanging of positions and recovering on defense has been solid this week.

“The recovery of the middies to the defense, if they miss it knowing someone is behind them, they are so comfortable with each other now,” Moran said.
On Monday against Chatham, the Whalers dictated the pace of the game from the outset.

“It was nice to use the whole field. Their passing was unbelievable. It was so beautiful to watch,” Moran said. “Chatham was on their heels from the start. We kept to our game plan of keeping it open.”

Cassie Moran opened the scoring less than nine minutes into the game. The junior forward carried the ball beautifully up the field through at least three Blue Devil defenders and fired a strong shot past the goalie for the 1-0 lead.
Moran teamed up with Ramirez later in the half, sending the feed from the left side to the center of the circle. Ramirez took the pass and knocked it off the left corner post for the 2-0 advantage. Moran added a reverse-stick shot off a corner play for the final goal of the half.

The Whalers had multiple chances to score in the second half, but Dyer was the only one to find the back of the net, as she was assisted by Long on a scramble.

Against Wareham on Saturday, Nantucket played a similar style game, dictating the offense and showing confidence in the backfield. Midway through the first half, Erin Lindsay fed Tornovish in front of the net. Tornovish fired a rocket off the goalie’s pads and into the net for the 1-0 lead. Wareham’s Theresa Doris scored on a penalty shot to tie the game, but Dyer added a goal on an assist from Ramirez right before the half. The Whalers held the 2-1 lead for most of the second half before Long added an insurance goal on an assist from Dyer with seconds remaining.

Reach Allison Goldsmith at sports@inkym.com