Bulldogs Field Hockey Heads to State Semis After Brilliant Year

Meghan Winesett saved the day for the  when she drilled in her 24th goal of the season with seven minutes remaining in overtime to defeat Maggie L. Walker Governor's School and advance to the Virginia state semifinal with the win, 2-1.

“She got mad last night so that was good,” Karl said, regarding the play and leadership of Meghan Winesett. “She was holding her players accountable and she’s becoming more and more vocal.”

Walker held onto a 1-0 lead for the majority of the match, held on Tuesday. That was until Rachael Ulsh knotted it up from a Meghan Winesett assist with 13 minutes left to play in regulation. The Bulldogs forced Walker into overtime where Meghan Winesett fortified the finish. Coach Starr Karl said her girls dominated control offensively with a 17-9 penalty corner advantage, but had trouble getting the ball in the net—a problem she says the Bulldogs have struggled with throughout the 2011 season.

“We had possession for at least 75 percent of the game but we had issues finishing the game again,” said Karl. “They packed their whole team inside the 25. So it’s hard when you’re playing 11 on 7.”

Still, Westfield (20-3) now heads forward to the state semifinal against Stafford (Virginia Beach), which has consistently played in the state tourney throughout the past decade. Karl said that during the preseason she did not believe her squad would be in this position because of the predominance of youth. But players like Ulsh, who is only in her second season playing the sport, have stepped up their game and found chemistry with one another.

Several players worked their way into the top 50 leaders in the Metropolitan Area. Meghan Winesett ranks third with 24 goals and 5th in assists with 16 on the year. Katie Winesett’s 16 goals placed her at No.13 (Meghan and Katie are cousins). Kelly Duncan also made the Top 50 in goals scored, tied for ninth. All three ranked in the Top Five scorers in the Concorde District as well. But perhaps the Metro Area’s 17th-ranked goalkeeper Lauren Saltus deserves even more credit as she tallied 85 saves, leading her squad to 14 shutouts and six one-goal games this season.

In her second year coaching Westfield, Karl has led a team with one freshman, six sophomores, nine juniors and just two seniors to become one of four schools left competing for the Virginia state title. The coach said she is “most impressed with their selflessness” and is proud of how her girls have come together as one unit.

“They’ve amazed me this season. I felt like next year we were really going to good and this year was going to be a learning curve because we lost eight players this year,” Karl said. “These kids are sponges, they want to learn, and they are eager and can take criticism. The one thing I love about this team is all 22 of them realize that for us to be successful, that they all play a part of that.”

During the Bulldogs’ preseason, Coach Karl gave each player the book Teammates Matter, by Alan Williams. She said the team discussed it and has continued to use its theme of family to stay focused and confirm to one another that each player has the other’s back. The second-year Westfield coach faced Stafford in the playoff finals once before in 2000 while coaching another school. She believes Stafford will be a strong and competitive opponent once again.

“They are speedy, feisty and play with a lot of heart and don’t quit,” she said.

Westfield plays at the Virginia Beach National Training Center against Stafford at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 11.