Lake Braddock Bruins Defeat McLean Highlanders

The Lake Braddock Bruins got their field hockey season off to a smashing start Thursday, trouncing McLean High School 4–1.

The Bruins scored three times in the first half with goals by senior forwards Maggie Metress and Brittany Hopkins and sophomore forward Taylor Livick. The Bruins dominated possession in the first half, keeping the Highlanders off the scoreboard for the first 35 minutes. Alex Froede, father of fourth-year starting forward Ali Froede, attributed the team's first-half mastery to their hard work during the summer.

"The kids really worked on passing during camps this summer, and it really shows," Froede said. "They're doing a lot more passing than they usually do this early in the season."

After Hopkins' second goal gave Lake Braddock a comfortable four-goal cushion early in the second half, McLean showed some life, finally scoring a goal as the ball bounced off one of the Bruins Defenders' sticks. Despite an impressive amount of grit from the Highlanders, the Bruins cruised the rest of the way.

Lake Braddock returns 90 percent of last year's team, with eight seniors starting. Continuity feeds from the top down, as Head Coach Diane Miller enters her thirtieth and final year leading the Bruins.

Miller was mostly happy with the results of the game.

"I enjoyed the first half; not so much the second," Miller said, comparing one goal in field hockey to 20 points in basketball. "I think we got a little complacent in the second half and McLean got fired up."

With a team of "really strong players" that are nearly all returning, Miller is looking forward to her final season.

"I'm just a firm believer in taking one game at a time," Miller said.