With the District 1 field hockey tournament coming up in just a few weeks, Mount St. Joseph Academy faced a fellow Class AA team on Oct. 10. In general, the host Magic controlled more of the play than visiting Phoenixville High School. However, after enjoying a 2-0 halftime lead, the Mount gave up a goal in the third quarter, then got a scare in the final seconds when a shot by the Phantoms was saved by MSJ senior goalie Nora Haney.

With the 2-1 victory, the Mount was back above the .500 mark with an overall record of 8-7, while remaining 1-5 within the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies. Mount St. Joseph graduated 11 seniors from its 2021 team, but with several freshmen making the varsity and already starting, the squad is on the road to rebuilding.

The Magic dominated play last Monday for the first few minutes, but Phoenixville perked up later on. The Phantoms forged into the Mount's defensive half and earned a penalty corner, but did not generate a viable shot.

On a Mount corner with three minutes left in the first quarter freshman Avery Lasky had a shot blocked, and after another MSJ corner the period ended with the score still 0-0.

The Magic began to pose more serious threats near the visitors' goal cage, with a shot by senior Devin Loome striking the pads of the keeper. Phoenixville survived a scramble near the left post of its goal, but the next time the Magic crowded into the circle junior Grace Kyle tapped the ball into the cage out of a bunch of players in front of the cage.

That happened with 3:18 remaining in the first half, and with the clock down to 1:22 Mount junior Caroline Killian scored the goal that would prove to be the game-winner. Phoenixville came up empty on a corner sequence in the final minute, and the tally was 2-0 at the break.

Attacking up the left wing a few minutes into the second half, the Phantoms had Kylie Moore score off an assist from Julia Grasso with three-and-a-half minutes elapsed. Late in the period a nice reverse shot from the left side of the circle by the Mount's Loome was saved by the visiting goalie. The Magic got a corner out of it, but the score was still 2-1 at the three-quarter mark.

The Mounties thought they'd secured an insurance goal six minutes into the fourth quarter, but there was a foul on the play. A number of MSJ corners later on failed to alter the score. The Magic had an anxious moment in the final seconds when Phoenixville charged up the left side and angled in for a shot, but Haney made her fourth save of the game for the Mount to preserve a 2-1 victory.

The Mount earned 10 corners while there were four for Phoenixville, which went home with a 7-6 record.