Olivia McKenna, Northport roll into state semifinals
Northport's Olivia McKenna passes the ball to her teammates in New York State's High School Southeast Regional Class A field hockey finals in Accord,NY on November 6, 2023. Credit: Allyse Pulliam
ACCORD, N.Y. — Olivia McKenna knows how to score goals.
McKennaopened and closed the scoring for the Northport field hockey team in its 8-1 win over Kingston in the state Class A Regional final at Rondout Valley High School on Sunday.
Northport (20-0), the defending state champion, will face Section I’s Scarsdale on November 12 at Centereach High School in the state Class A semifinals.
McKenna gave the Tigers an early 1-0 lead when she scored three minutes into the match on the third consecutive penalty corner.
“We knew we had to start off strong and we did,” said McKenna, who had four goals. “It got us on the right track.”
It would be a fast sprint to a 4-0 lead as the Tigers netted three goals in under two minutes at the end of the first quarter. Senior forward Emma McLam scored and McKenna followed just 10 seconds later with another goal. With 2:22 remaining, McLam set up Julia Cavallo’s score for the Tigers' fourth goal.
“Us moving the ball really fast once we get in the circle is what makes us almost unstoppable,” McLam said.
McLam had her second assist early in the second quarter as she slid the ball to Madison Maxwell by the post. Northport led 5-0 at halftime.
Emily Beichert scored Kingston’s only goal halfway through the third quarter. McKenna immediately answered with a goal off one of Northport’s 12 penalty corners. Emma Fabrizio slid the ball to McKenna, who had a hard hit that went to the back right side of the net for a 6-1 lead.
Throughout the matchup McKenna’s aerial passes allowed the ball to remain under the Tigers’ possession. Brooke Dalton-Vafeades found the soaring ball in the circle at the end of the third quarter and sent it into the net behind her for Northport's seventh goal.
“They were giving us a lot of space," McKenna said, "so I knew that the aerials would work. We would be able to get it over them."
McKenna wasn’t finished just yet. With seconds left in the game, she fired her fourth goal to cap the scoring.
The Tigers are aiming for another state title after capturing their first in program history last season.
As they posed for a team photo, there was hesitation by the players after a request to put up a number one with their fingers:
“Not yet."
