Zamojcin, Byrne bring Patriots title

Archbishop Carroll got a pair of goals from senior Kim Zamojcin and one from sophomore Kelsey Byrne to beat Cardinal O'Hara, 3-1, yesterday at Arcadia University for its third straight Catholic League field hockey championship.

Carroll coach Sue Gennaro attributed the win to a change the Patriots (13-3-1) made in their offensive approach after they lost to the Lions, 2-1, in the last game of the regular season.

"Coach said she wanted to spread our offense in the circle, because O'Hara packed so many people in the circle on defense," said Zamojcin, who collected her 25th and 26th goals of the season.

"We also have a lot of endurance," Gennaro said. "We do a lot of running and feel we can keep up with any team."

The Patriots put considerable pressure on the Lions (14-2) in the second half, even though they had eight of their 14 offensive penalty corners in the first half.

Zamojcin's first goal got Carroll rolling after the Patriots had fallen behind. The Lions got on the board first less than eight minutes into the game. Senior Jenna Moran dribbled from just inside the circle to within five yards of the goal and unloaded a shot.

"We got pumped on that one," Zamojcin said of her goal that tied the game, 1-1, halfway through the first half. "We had been humbled by the loss [to O'Hara] and knew we needed something to get us up after they went ahead."

The Lions finished the regular season 9-0 in league play. Carroll was 8-1.

Zamojcin's tying goal capped a five-minute period in which Carroll dominated play. Carroll then put together three offensive corners in the last seven minutes but could not capitalize on them. Senior Lauren Comly was the unlucky shooter on each one. Her first shot hit the post, the next one was stopped by Lions goalie Moire Boston, and the last one went wide.

Byrne broke the 1-1 deadlock with 9 minutes, 15 seconds to play when her shot ricocheted off Boston's right leg pad and flew into the goal.

"Our corners weren't working, so we changed things," Byrne explained. "Kim passed the ball in to Lauren. She didn't take a shot but passed the ball to me."

Zamojcin put in the clincher off a scramble in front of the goal cage with a little more than three minutes remaining.

"I didn't see it go in," Zamojcin said. "I just reached as far as I could with my stick and backhanded it. It was so crowded in the circle."

Boston said she didn't see it, either. The Lions goalie made 10 stops; Carroll's Mariah McMoran had two. Boston made a leaping hand stop in the second half on a penalty stroke by Jackie Krizovenski.

"I just focused on the ball," said Boston, who along with midfielder Lindsay McArdle drew praise from Lions coach Nicole Nelson.

"Lindsay came flying out on their corners, and Moire kept us in the game," Nelson said. "We just didn't get much offense generated."

Archbishop Carroll 1 2 - 3

Cardinal O'Hara1 0 - 1

Goals: AC–Kim Zamojcin 2, Kelsey Byrne. CO–Jenna Moran.

Saves: AC–Mariah McMoran 2. CO–Moire Boston 10.

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Contact staff writer Don Beideman at 610-701-7613 or dbeideman@phillynews.com.