Cosmos win 7th straight

Springfield seems to be finding a nice rhythm as the field hockey postseason draws closer and closer. The quick-strike Cosmos rolled to their seventh consecutive victory with a 2-0 shutout over Brattleboro Thursday, scoring a goal in the first minute of each half.

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2016-10-14 / Sports Cosmos win 7th straight «» View full-size Springfield's Ashleay Wilcox moves the ball deep into the Brattleboro end and past the Colonel's Zenia Muhammed. — TIM TAYLOR http://www.eagletimes.com/sites/www.eagletimes.com/files/imagecache/full/SprFH1_0.jpghttp://www.eagletimes.com/sites/www.eagletimes.com/files/imagecache/full/SprFH3.jpg By TIM TAYLOR sports@eagletimes.com SPRINGFIELD — Springfield seems to be finding a nice rhythm as the field hockey postseason draws closer and closer. The quick-strike Cosmos rolled to their seventh consecutive victory with a 2-0 shutout over Brattleboro Thursday, scoring a goal in the first minute of each half. It took Makenna Goodrich just 28 seconds to find her mark in Springfield's Cardiac Awareness game. Angelina Bigwood's second-half tally didn't happen quite as fast. Bigwood, who assisted on Goodrich's goal, took a whopping 52 seconds to put her tally in the book. Ashleay Wilcox earned the assist on that one. “I think that we all worked well together, but I think that the fact that we scored so quickly was inevitable, because we worked together so well,” Goodrich said. “We worked so well and then we got the ball up the field really fast, so it just worked well,” Bigwood said. “I think we came into this game really rallying around the cause [cardiac awareness] and wanting to lift up people who have been affected, and they just ran with it and brought that positive energy to the game,” said Springfield co-head coach Kelly DeAngelis. Those goals were the offensive highlights of a game which otherwise belonged to the defenses. Springfield would control the tempo of the game and held the majority of the possession time, but the Colonels' defense was up to the task. Goalkeeper Olivia Weeks would turn away seven Cosmos shots and Brattleboro prevailed in several scrums in front of the cage. Brattleboro's defensive effort was not a fluke. The Colonels came into this one having held each of their past four opponents to one goal. “They had some really good drives that just carried the ball back and gave them some time to set up … they did a really nice job on defense,” DeAngelis said. “They've got a couple strong halfbacks which is good for them, great halfbacks,” added Cosmos co-head coach Lyndsie Perkins. Springfield's all-Marble Valley League goalie, Aunna Parker, had it a bit easier. She faced just one shot. When the Colonels would push the ball into the other end, Parker's teammates stepped up to keep the pressure off their keeper. “We've got a strong defense, which is really nice,” Perkins said. “They're able to stop the ball and then also carry the ball up the field, which is nice, so then it can flow nicely into the mids and forwards, which I think is what we saw a few times today, is some really nice flow up the field. “We still need to finish that last little touch-in from time to time … there's definitely still room for improvement fro the rest of the season and then the playoffs, but I think we're in a good spot for now.” Springfield hasn't had to rely on its offense as much over the past month — the defense has chalked up six shutouts since the Cosmos' last loss on Sept. 15. Only Fair Haven has found the back of the cage during that span and the Slaters did it just once in a lopsided 7-1 affair four days ago. The Cosmos' success the past month after a 1-3 start is clearly a sign of a veteran team coming together, but is also bolstered by the addition of three players from the now-defunct Windsor program. “It's different, but we've all worked together so well,” said Bigwood, who is from Windsor, as are Ashley Wilcox and Meranda Keough. “It's been a really good year. I'm happy to play with them.” “I think that it was destiny for them to come to us,” Goodrich added. “It may sound cheesy, but we're definitely so happy to have them here and they help make our team complete.” “It was kind of eerie how it all just kind meshed together so perfectly and they're just one wonderful team, which is good,” Perkins said. “Whether it's Windsor or Springfield or whatever it is, they're just one great group of girls and we're so blessed and thankful to have all them.” “We tried to get the Windsor girls to come last year, but I think because it was their first year without a team they weren't quite sure how that would be,” DeAngelis said. “We're so glad that they finally came this year. Since preseason they came, they stepped up, they played together. It's never been a Windsor-Springfield vibe. “I think the girls we've had on our team are really welcoming and since we tried last year to get them and nobody came, I think they really wanted to extend that invitation even more to make sure they felt like, just try it, just see how you feel … and it's worked out, obviously. We're very happy to have and let's just hope we stay strong, keep it going.” Whether or not the Cosmos take a winning streak into the playoffs will depend on how they fare in a rematch at Brattleboro on Monday and in the senior game against Burr & Burton on Oct. 22.