Field Hockey: Cosby, Dale advance to finals

A timeout did the trick for the Cosby field hockey team.

The Titans trailed Mills Godwin midway through the first half of their Central Region tournament semifinal last night at Clover Hill. The Eagles were playing their game and had taken the Titans out of theirs.

"We got our heads back in it and started playing like we knew how to play field hockey," Cosby midfielder Kelsey Powell said.

Catherine Rogerson scored the Titans' first goal less than six minutes into the second half, and Taylor Johnson added the game-winning goal with 14:50 remaining in Cosby's 2-1 victory.

The Titans, 19-1-1 and winners of 13 games in a row, advanced to their first region title game against three-time defending champion Thomas Dale. The Knights defeated Maggie Walker Governor's School 2-0 last night.

Cosby coach Rachel Mead returns to the championship game for the first time since 1999 when she guided James River to the region crown.

Thomas Dale and Cosby also earned bids to Tuesday's Group AAA tournament quarterfinals. Tonight's winner will play host to the Eastern Region runner-up. The loser travels to the Eastern champion.

Cosby came out of the halftime break a different team.

"It's a whole new ballgame. We wanted to get a quick goal and shut the other team down," said Cosby midfielder Kelsey Powell, a four-year player. "We started passing around them instead of through them. We played better as a team in the second half."

The Eagles, also playing in their first region semifinal, scored in the 16th minute when Caitlin Walton's shot deflected off Cosby goal keeper Christina Siweic's leg pad.

"They got a little too excited early on," said first-year Mills Godwin coach Ashley Griffin, who had to recruit many of her players and teach them how to play the game. "It's been a learning process. I couldn't ask for anything more."

The Eagles finished 12-7. They won the Colonial District tournament and eliminated Capital champion Atlee in the region quarterfinals.

Thomas Dale (15-1-1) and Maggie Walker (16-4-1), last year's region finalists, spent most of the first half battling each other in the midfield. Kristen Carter changed that just before the halftime whistle.

"Coach told us we weren't talking much and to start communicating more," Carter said. "I called for the ball. Kelsey [Daugherty] passed it to me, and I put it in."

Hannah Robbins sealed the victory with a breakaway goal in the second half.

Cosby is a new opponent for the Knights, who defeated the region's other two longtime powers, James River and Maggie Walker, in the quarterfinals and last night. Mead was coaching James River when Knights coach Beth Jaeckle was playing for Thomas Dale.

"We knew what to expect from James River and Maggie Walker," Jaeckle said. "We saw Cosby a little bit tonight. I know her style. She's a great coach. I hope we can go out and get it done."

Contact Arthur Utley at

Mills Godwin ------------------------- 1 0 - 1
Cosby ------------------------- 0 2 - 2

Saves: Bailey (MG) 4; Siweic 2

Maggie Walker GS ------------------------- 0 0 - 0
Thomas Dale ------------------------- 1 1 - 2

Saves: Young (MW) 2; Cummings (TD) 1