By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Speed and creativity can be a lethal combination on the soccer field.

The Field Falcons girls team were witness to both on Saturday in a 9-0 non-league loss at Stow.

A physical Bulldogs team scored less than four minutes into the contest and they remained on the attack throughout the game’s opening 40 minutes, using a series of through-balls and passes into space to create multiple opportunities.

The first goal was netted by Sophia Yoder on a pass from Corinne Casenhiser, who had won possession of the ball on a tackle just outside of midfield before advancing the ball and striking a through-ball pass to Yoder at 36:07.

Grace Beck pushed the Stow lead to 2-0 after a Bulldogs restart was poorly cleared out by the Falcons. Beck intercepted the clear, settled it and sent it back in on goal at the 30:56 mark.

The third goal in the game’s first 10 minutes was scored by Kailey Hobard, who aggressively won possession of the ball against the Falcons’ back line before maneuvering around the final defender and placing the ball into the back of the net over the goalkeeper’s head.

Hobart then played distributor, sending a perfectly placed ball between two Field defenders to Mallory Fischer.

Fischer raced in and scored for a 4-0 Stow lead at the 17:27 mark.

Back-to-back own goals by Field within two minutes of each other allowed the Bulldogs’ lead to grow to 6-0. Then, goals late in the first half, just 28 seconds away from each other, were scored by Kylie Kramer to give Stow an 8-0 lead at halftime.

The final goal of the game was scored by Alayna Bowers, who was able to send in a shot from near the top of the box after an attempted clear by the Falcons’ back line was not strong enough to clear the Stow attack.

Field never found an offensive rhythm and consistently lost the ball in the midfield on goal kicks and punts by goalkeepers.

The Falcons’ best scoring chances came in the second half with balls played out wide to sophomore Delilah Rahe, who was able to beat the Bulldogs’ defense and send crosses to various dangerous points in the box that could not find timed runs.

Carlee Fafrak had 14 saves in goal for Field.