High School Field Hockey: West Deptford Wins Competitive Playoff Contest Against Gateway Tuesday, November 5, 2002 By Susan Hall SJSports Special Correspondent All it took was one goal to be the team to advance to the next round of the playoffs. The other team would have to hang up their cleats and sticks and call it a season. Neither team wanted their season to end as both the West Deptford Lady Eagles hosting the Gateway Lady Gators in the first round of the South Jersey Group 2 field hockey playoffs played hard to move on. Brittany Stewart's shot went into the cage giving the Eagles the win against a Gateway team who worked hard to send this competitive match into overtime. After an emotional past week for the Lady Eagles field hockey team, West Deptford had to concentrate on today's game. They had clinched the Colonial Conference Liberty Division with a victory over a very good Collingswood program. That win gave West Deptford their first Liberty Division title in school's history. Gateway, representing the Patriot Division, knew of their opponent's accomplishments but went out and played well in their attempt to be that team to move on to the next round. The fourth seeded West Deptford kept the pressure on Gateway, seeded thirteen, all game limited them to only a few good surges to move the ball into scoring position. Keeper Valerie Garigliano only saw two shots on goal for the entire game. Most of the play belonged to the Eagles as had several good chances but couldn't convert with the Gateway defense converging on the play. Finally with 13:16 showing on the first half clock, Brittany Gibbs assisted on Stewart's goal pushing West Deptford to their next meeting with the fifth seeded Hammonton Blue Devils. Photos by Frank Crescenti

©2002 South Jersey Sports Online Inc.