FRONTENAC – From bowling outings to movie nights to dinner gatherings, teams often seek opportunities to bond.
Two years ago, the Cor Jesu field hockey team embarked on a unique bonding activity – a kickboxing class.
And that may be the perfect metaphor to describe the current version of the Chargers.
“We’re tough, gritty and disciplined,” junior Molly Stutte said.
Stutte scored one goal and assisted on another, and senior Mattea Vest led an outstanding defensive effort as Cor Jesu defeated three-time defending state champion Villa Duchesne 2-0 Monday in a regular-season matchup at Condie Field.
Cor Jesu (12-4) won its eighth consecutive game and became the first in-state team to defeat the Saints by more than one goal since 2014.
Villa Duchesne (11-4-1), which lost to St. Joseph’s in an overtime shootout on Saturday, dropped consecutive, in-state games for the first time since October 2016.
The first goal for Cor Jesu signified how the Chargers have played throughout their eight-game winning streak. The ball was won in the defensive end by junior Macy Budd, delivered ahead to Vest, sent further to junior Caroline Pingel and fired across to Stutte, who redirected it into the cage for her 20th goal of the season.
“It was a beautiful, team goal,” said Stutte, who also scored the game-winner in a 1-0 victory at Villa Duchesne as a freshman.
Early in the second half, Stutte used her exceptional speed and stick skills to maneuver down the left side, enter a scoring area and deliver a shot that clanged off the near post and scooted across the circle. Senior Allie Massmann retrieved the ricochet and sent it into the vacant cage to give Cor Jesu a 2-0 lead.
“I was just there to support Molly,” Massmann said. “I have all the faith in Molly, but it went off the post and I was there to clean it up.”
The Cor Jesu defense had to clean up the chaos produced by 16 penalty corners earned by Villa Duchesne in the second half.
The Saints earned a corner 27 seconds after Massmann’s goal and began peppering shots at the Cor Jesu cage shortly thereafter. A nifty give-and-go between Villa Duchesne sophomore Margot Leary and junior Katie Crump led to three successive shots that Chargers’ senior goalie Sarah Boock denied with her leg pads.
Villa Duchesne earned nine corners in the third quarter alone, including five in a row, and each attempt was thwarted by the well-positioned sticks and relentless hustle of Vest, and juniors Naida Reitenbach, Alex Henderson and Madi Beuligmann.
“It’s a team effort – lots of communication, lots of working together and calling for every ball,” Vest said of the Chargers’ ability to defend corners.
Another Villa Duchesne corner opportunity early in the fourth quarter required two more boot-aways by Boock, who made 16 saves in total.
“Their corner defense was good, and we’re just struggling to finish,” Villa Duchesne coach Kate Graft said. “From the 25 to the 25, we played well, but we have to score, too. It’s something that’s an adjustment for us, but we’ll keep working on it.”
Historically, Cor Jesu has played Villa Duchesne as tough as any team. The Chargers were the last Missouri team to defeat the Saints by multiple goals in a 3-0 victory on Sept. 29, 2014. They were also the last in-state team to hold the Saints scoreless in a 1-0 win at Villa Duchesne on Oct. 14, 2021.
On Monday, Cor Jesu won on the fast surface of Condie Field for the second time in the last three visits, and the Chargers are the only in-state team to win at Villa Duchesne since 2017.
“This is a great win for us on Villa’s water turf,” Cor Jesu coach Audrey Ploesser said. “We’re a grass team, and sometimes that’s underplayed. For a grass team to play on (water) turf is a huge transition, and our girls always rise to the occasion.”
Ploesser credits chemistry as a major contributor to the Chargers’ eight-game winning streak, which began with wins over St. Joseph’s and MICDS.
“We’ve really connected as a team. Our passing is really good, and it feels like the team has jelled together at the right time,” Ploesser said.
And team play and toughness have become the hallmarks of this current version of the Chargers, with a relentless desire to win possession of the ball and a willingness to stand in the path of the heavy shots of the opposition.
“We know that we can’t do this individually, and knowing that our team has each other’s backs has really carried us through the season,” Vest said.
And instead of kickboxing, the bonding activities this season have included a trip to Kansas City, a vibrant group chat and regular team get-togethers.
“We’ve really focused on building team chemistry, and the play comes with it,” Massmann said.