North Kingstown’s field hockey team pulled off a 2-1 overtime victory against second-ranked La Salle on Tuesday night, with Aleya Olmstead scoring the decisive goal after a tense fourth quarter. Trailing 1-0 late in the game, Paige Clarke leveled the score midway through the final quarter, setting the stage for Olmstead’s breakthrough in overtime.
The win came as a surprise given North Kingstown’s standing. Before the game, La Salle was second in the five-team Division I RPI standings, while North Kingstown sat at fifth. The Skippers had only defeated Division II opponents so far this season, making this a rare triumph over a top-tier Division I team and last year’s runners-up.
The match started with cautious play, largely confined to midfield for most of the first half. La Salle broke the deadlock late in the second quarter when Natalee White capitalised on a penalty corner, tapping in a loose ball at the weakside post to give the Rams a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
After the break, North Kingstown pushed forward with more urgency but faced a resilient La Salle defense and goalkeeper Peyton Giroux, who held firm through the third quarter. Despite controlling much of the midfield, the Skippers trailed entering the final period.
With time running down, Clarke found a way to break through La Salle’s defense, poking a shot through traffic to knot the score at 1-1. North Kingstown kept pressing for a winner and thwarted La Salle’s attempts to regain the lead, even with the Rams missing their All-State forward Ella Hyland.
The overtime period was played 7-on-7, and Olmstead took advantage of the fast-paced format. The ball was blasted forward, and she outran the La Salle defense to score the game-winning goal. “If I were to miss that, I do think I would be sprinting [at practice Wednesday],” Olmstead said, acknowledging the pressure of finishing in front of goal.
The victory improved North Kingstown’s record to 5-5 but left them in fifth place in the Division I RPI standings. Their schedule remains challenging, with upcoming matches against Moses Brown on October 1, followed by two games against Barrington and a home fixture against East Greenwich. La Salle slipped to 5-4 and third in the standings, with a trip to Barrington scheduled for Thursday.
Elsewhere in Division I field hockey, East Greenwich defeated Barrington 3-1 behind goals from Ava Halvorsen and Lilian Grant, with Olivia Roland assisting all three scores. East Greenwich dominated shots on goal and corners, while goalkeeper Emma Guckian made six saves. Barrington’s lone goal came from Ashley Dacosta on a rebound.
In Division III, Tiverton and Bay View combined to edge Pilgrim 2-1. Tiverton scored in the second and third quarters before Pilgrim’s Charlotte Farrell cut the deficit in the fourth. Tiverton’s goalkeeper Cordeila Awad made one save as the team held on.
On the boys’ soccer front, Cranston East and Ponaganset played to a 1-1 draw. Collin Etheridge scored for Cranston East in the second half, while Michael Ogunmola equalised late for Ponaganset. Both goalkeepers, Alvaro Ortega and Noah Sackal, made six saves.
Exeter-West Greenwich maintained an unbeaten streak with a 1-0 win over Davies Vocational, thanks to Jonathan DePietro’s goal and Brody Samson’s assist. Goalkeeper Aidan Rumgay recorded six saves for the Scarlet Knights, who improved to 9-0.
South Kingstown’s girls’ soccer team beat Pilgrim 3-1, with Finely Reed scoring twice and Caroline Cavanagh adding a goal and an assist. Hailey Rollins contributed an assist, while goalkeepers Bria Bender and Michela LoPresti combined for nine saves.
Middletown defeated Lincoln School 5-3 in Division II girls’ soccer. Rebecca Audi scored twice, supported by goals from Elle Mahoney, Hannah Berdy, and Maia Stusse. Middletown’s goalie Sadie Moloney made 10 saves to secure the win.
According to Yahoo Sports.
