BEVERLY — The approach that Ava Connon takes when standing in front of an opposing field hockey team’s net is not complicated.
“I just keep my stick down and if the ball comes near me, I whack at it,” said the 18-year-old Honor Roll student.
It’s working brilliantly thus far.
The Beverly High senior forward recorded her second hat trick of the young season, helping the Orange-and-Black roll past Danvers, 7-1, Tuesday at Frank Forti Field.
Leading the North Shore with nine goals in just four games for the unbeaten Panthers, Connon connected twice in the first quarter to give her team a lead it would never relinquish. Her third came in the third quarter, taking a pass from Fiona Bazin in the slot and knocking it home to make it a 4-1 game.
“When the ball hits my stick, I just hit it and hope it goes in. Hope and pray,” said Connon, who carries a 4.26 GPA and is in the top 10 percent of her senior class at BHS. “I should probably look up a little more, but this is working.”
It’s doubtful her teammates or coaches would want Connon to change a thing.
“I really wish I was able to see more of what she’s done the last three years,” said first-year Beverly head coach Danielle Hartford. “But even since this season started, Ava’s really stepped up as more of a leader, with her voice and with her on-field play. She’s showing her teammates how to capitalize on the offensive chances that we get.”
Falcons goalie Grace McLaughlin did all she could to keep the Panthers at bay, stopping 17 shots. The senior goalkeeper now has 69 on the season.
Still, said head coach Kristen McCarthy, trying to prevent a squad like Beverly’s and the offensive firepower it possesses is a fool’s errand.
“They replenish well, they’re quick, fast and always have their sticks down,” McCarthy, whose team had a short bench Tuesday, said of the Panthers. “They’re just relentless in front of the net — and they’re hungry.”
Beverly keeper Charlotte Stevens, a junior, made five saves. Her team had an 11-1 edge in corners.
It was a 2-1 contest midway through the second quarter after Danvers junior Meg Ryan — an ice hockey veteran playing field hockey for the first time —converted a pass from senior Emma Cross for her first varsity goal. Looking for a spark to regain their offensive footing, the Panthers got one when freshman Gwen Jones came in off the bench, collected a pass from Michelle Pichardo-Cedillo, and knocked it into the back of the Danvers net with 2:45 until halftime.
That two-goal advantage at halftime gave Beverly the momentum back, and it carried over into the third as Connon (who also had one assist) completed her hat trick, then again in the final period with Avery LeBlanc, Mary Kapnis and Morgan Linskey each adding insurance tallies.
“Right after Danvers scored, we needed to pull it together. They’re great competitors, the defending Northeastern Conference champions, and we knew they could come back,” said Hartford. “That’s why Gwen’s goal was so big. She was like a breath of fresh air coming into the game and making a big shot like that.”
Senior Caroline Horn and sophomore Addie Moore both had strong showings for the Falcons (0-5-1), while Lily Patterson had a defensive save.
For Beverly, which got additional assists from Julianna O’Connor and Maddie LeBlanc, captain Elliot Lund displayed great communication by making sure her team moved the ball crisply on pass plays, even if she wasn’t directly involved in them.
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