East Grand Rapids High School

EGR Varsity Field Hockey vs Mercy HS- 09.21.24 The Lady Pioneers lined up opposite Mercy High School on a hot Saturday afternoon. The temperature was a concern, but greater attention needed to be given to the east siders with the big hits. Playing on grass has its disadvantages, but one of the advantages is that the girls from Mercy have stronger drives when they get to a turf field. The Lady Pioneers again came out a bit sluggish, as they have for many of their Saturday match-ups. The energy built throughout the game, and in the latter stages of the third and fourth quarters, EGR had some sustained pressure on the Mercy defense. However, the opposition stood strong and repelled shots from Kellan Hudson ('25), Avery Albers ('27) and a point blank opportunity by Lillie Ademy ('26) that the goalie made a keen save on to preserve the tie. After 59 minutes and 53 seconds, the teams remained deadlocked, but the Lady Pioneers forced a penalty corner with 7 seconds remaining. Even past the final horn, the girls were able to sustain pressure in the circle and keep the play alive, until, ultimately, the Mercy squad was able to force one last penalty to get the ball out of danger and end the game. The game ended in a 0-0 tie, and the end of a long week of matches. The Lady Pioneers have played 5 games in the last 7 days. They have a reprieve this week with a game on Wednesday, Sept. 25 against OK Conference foe Rockford at 7 PM and again next Saturday against East side power Ann Arbor-Skyline, the state runner-up in Division I in 2023.