(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) WELL DONE: Stuart Country Day School field hockey junior star Kristi Hallowell fights for the ball last Friday as fifth seeded Stuart battled No. 12 Hamilton in the opening round of the Mercer County Tournament. Hallowell scored the lone goal of the contest as Stuart won 1-0 to advance to an MCT quarterfinal clash at No. 4 WW/P-N on October 24.

Sparked by Hallowell’s Goal in Hamilton Win, Stuart Field Hockey Starts Another MCT Run

Bill Alden

On paper, it looked like the fifth-seeded Stuart Country Day School field hockey team wouldn’t have much trouble as it hosted No. 12 Hamilton last Friday in the opening round of the Mercer County Tournament.

Although Kristi Hallowell and her Stuart teammates dominated possession from the opening whistle, they found themselves locked in a scoreless tie with the Hornets at halftime.

“They gave us a good fight,” said junior forward Hallowell. “We tried to dominate the game but they really kept in it. At halftime, our coach [Katie Grant] told us weren’t playing with intensity so she said to step it up and really, really put your heart out there.”

Some 15 minutes into the second half, Hallowell demonstrated her heart as she fought through a traffic jam in the circle and banged home a pass from Angela Gallagher to give Stuart a 1-0 lead.

“Somebody crossed it in and I just put my stick there,” recalled Hallowell. “I swung and hoped that it went in and it did.”

Hallowell’s moment of brilliance turned out to be the lone tally on the chilly afternoon as the Tartans held on for a 1-0 win and advanced to an MCT quarterfinal clash at No. 4 WW/P-N on October 22.

It wasn’t surprising that Hallowell came up with the decisive goal since she has emerged as a clutch scorer for Stuart this season.

“I guess I do see myself as a big part of the offense,” said Hallowell, reflecting on her role on the team this fall.

“I really respect the team and I have their support. We work really well together.”

Stuart head coach Grant likes the good work she has been getting from the improved Hallowell.

“From the beginning of this year, Kristi came into the season with a new confidence,” asserted Grant, whose team moved to 8-5 with the win over Hamilton.

“She just really has a presence on the field; her experience has come into play. This is her third year on varsity; she knows her role and wants to be the leader on that forward line. She has come a long way with her skills. She has the speed; she is definitely a threat.”

The Tartans kept threatening all game long against Hamilton, undeterred by missed shots and the stellar play of Hornet goalie Antoinette Stewart, who notched 15 saves.

“We kept fighting; we kept attacking,” asserted Grant. “They have a couple of good players with some speed so you can’t let down for a second. I think we played pretty well and pulled it out.”

Grant is looking for her club to get better at pulling the trigger in the circle. “It’s been a struggle for us,” said Grant, referring to her team’s occasional misfiring on offense. “The hunger for scoring in the circle is something that we try to encourage.”

With Stuart having advanced to the last six MCT title games, winning the crown three times in a row from 2005-7, Grant repeatedly let her players know what was at stake on Friday.

“I kept reminding them ‘guys this is tournament time now, it’s all or nothing,’” said Grant.

“We have had that tradition but we are a little bit young and a lot of the girls don’t know those feelings.”

The third-year head coach believes her team could make another deep run in the MCT.

“At this point in time, they are becoming more comfortable with each other and you see a lot of good connections and a lot of good plays,” said Grant, whose team will also be competing in the state Prep tournament.

“In the second half today, they knew that they had to get the job done and they were stepping up to balls. They know what it takes to win and hopefully that part will come out in the next few weeks.”

Hallowell, for her part, thinks the next few weeks could be eventful for the Tartans.

“Getting to a seventh county title game is our main goal,” said Hallowell

“We are a really good team; we are confident that we can go to the top. We are on good run.”

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