Hailey Chepren '23 scored the winning goal in a sudden death shootout as the Blue Storm defeated Peddie 4-3 in a Mid-Atlantic Prep League field hockey contest played on Regents' Field October 22.

The two teams were well matched and it was an exciting game from start to finish. Cameron Dotson '23 put Mercersburg on top 1-0 with less than a minute to play before halftime and then extended the lead to 2-0 just 20 seconds into the third quarter. Peddie scored twice in the fourth quarter to tie it up, and kept the pressure on until the end of regulation.

Neither team scored during two overtime periods, so the game went to a shootout.  Both goalies made spectacular save throughout the contest, but especially during the shootout phase, which featured a 1-on-1 charge at the goalie from the 25-yard line.  Each time had five opportunities in the shootout from five different players. Peddie scored on its third attempt while Vienna Horstmann '23 scored on Mercersburg's fourth try. Horstmann was actually fouled by the Peddie goalie on her attempt, so she was awarded and converted a penalty stroke.

Still tied at three after the two overtimes and five shootout tries, the game moved to the sudden death portion of the shootout. That's when Chepren stepped up as the first Blue Storm attacker, made a nifty move around the goalie, and slid the ball home. Peddie had one final attempt to extend the game, but goalie Zareena Sorho '23 came charging out of the net, which was her main strategy for the shootout session, and sent the ball away to preserve the victory.

Mercersburg is now 3-7 overall, 1-2 in the MAPL, and travels to Hagerstown to take on St. James on Wednesday, October 26 at 4:30 p.m.