Suffolk News-Herald

What does it take to score three goals in one field hockey game? Let’s ask the little experts.

&uot;I dribbled up to the goal, and then do a push-pass, when I step into the ball and drive it to wherever I’m aiming it,&uot; said Kasey Smith, who racked up the first hat trick of her age 7-8 Girls Field Hockey League (GFHL) competition in the Purple Power’s 6-3 win over the Yellow squad Monday at Lakeland High School. &uot;I was hitting it to the middle, because the goalies are usually on the side. I was happy, because scoring is exciting.&uot;

In scoring all the points in the Gray Stingray’s 3-1 win over the White team in 9-11 competition, Ashton Cox needed her teammates’ help. &uot;All the other girls on the team were passing the ball to me,&uot; she said. &uot;I thought I was going to score, but the girls on the other team kept coming up behind me.&uot;

What about the girls on the other side? The GFHL squads are smaller than regulation high school teams, meaning that they don’t have enough people to put the normal pads and helmet on a girl and stick her in front of the net while her teammates try to keep the ball on the other side of the field. Oftentimes, a girl must double back between (wo)manning the net and charging to midfield to keep the ball on the opponent’s side. It’s a job with which Hannah Evans has a love/hate relationship.

&uot;It’s scary, because the ball could hit you in your face or somewhere else,&uot; said Hannah, who fought off six corner strokes during the White Tigers’ 2-2 tie with the Purple squad in 12-16 competition. &uot;But it’s exciting, because a lot of balls come through and you get to fight for the ball.&uot;

Weather permitting, games will resume next Monday at Lakeland.