Mustangs Field Hockey falls to Albemarle in Hard Fought Battle

Monticello lost to the Albemarle Patriots 3-0 Tuesday night despite a solid defensive showing. The Mustangs were pressured at the goal early and often, finding themselves in eight corners. They were able to stop most of them, with first team all-district Goalie Ava Barnes collecting six saves on the night. However, Courtney Hughlett got one through late in the first half for Albemarle after she had a goal erased by a corner penalty seconds earlier. To end the first half, Albemarle found themselves with another corner but it was stopped nicely by the stout Monticello defense. Albemarle went into halftime with a 1-0 advantage. In the third, Albemarle struck again as Hughlett's twin sister Caroline found the net to put the Patriots up 2-0. The twins had a strong showing, scoring all three of Albemarle's goals and controlling the ball. They could've done more if it wasn't for first team all-district Defender Amelia Lewis. Lewis used her speed and ball control skills to halt Albemarle threats to score. Lewis was aided by Campbell Murray, who had a huge stop early in the first half and other strong plays throughout the game. The Mustangs showed some signs of strong ball movement, with Forwards Caroline Kaminski, Anna Kate Gaskin, and Reese Murray all pushing the ball up the field at times. Star Midfielder Kendall Gibson was all over the field for Monticello, playing solid defense and moving the ball on the offensive end. The gritty effort was not enough for the Mustangs however, as they fell 3-0 to Albemarle. The team moves to 3-2 on the season and will look to bounce back on Thursday in a home matchup against Louisa.