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Eureka senior Lilly McCollum (4) and Marquette senior Erin Huff (17) battle for possession during a field hockey game on Sept. 22, 2022 at Marquette High School in Chesterfield, MO | Ben Vessa STLhighschoolsports.com
Eureka sophomore Gillian Lochmann slides a pass past Marquette senior Samantha Berger (20) during a field hockey game on Sept. 22, 2022 at Marquette High School in Chesterfield, MO | Ben Vessa STLhighschoolsports.com
Marquette senior Cece Kreh (16) tries to avoid the defense of Eureka senior Addison Hardin during a field hockey game on Sept. 22, 2022 at Marquette High School in Chesterfield, MO | Ben Vessa STLhighschoolsports.com
Eureka senior Madison Erb (22) leaps into the arms of senior goalie Anna Hollenbeck to celebrate the first win over Marquette in program history during a field hockey game on Sept. 22, 2022 at Marquette High School in Chesterfield, MO | Ben Vessa STLhighschoolsports.com
Eureka senior Lanie Diekhoff braces for impact from a restart by Marquette senior Cece Kreh (16) during a field hockey game on Sept. 22, 2022 at Marquette High School in Chesterfield, MO | Ben Vessa STLhighschoolsports.com
CHESTERFIELD — Eureka High seniors Lilly McCollum and Lanie Diekhoff have developed quite a chemistry during their four seasons on the varsity field hockey team.
They also have become models of physical and mental toughness. Thursday, they helped Eureka make history.
McCollum scored the game-winning goal late in the fourth quarter off an assist from Diekhoff to propel the Wildcats to a 1-0 victory over Marquette to earn the first victory over the Mustangs in program history.
Eureka (8-3), which has won seven of its last eight games, is off to its best start since opening the 2015 season with a 10-1 record.
“We have a great, veteran group that is out to prove something. They want to have the best season we’ve ever had as program,” Eureka coach Melissa Menchella said.
The Wildcats were 0-11 in games against Marquette prior to Thursday, including an overtime loss in the 2020 state playoffs, before a stroke of good luck began the late game-heroics for Eureka.
Eureka senior Madison Erb, playing with a large knee brace after recovering from an ACL tear, directed a pass from beyond the circle that was about to result in a turnover, but it was aiming straight for the right post, requiring Marquette goalie Riley Bossi to play it. She directed it out of play, resulting in a penalty corner.
Eureka quickly earned a second penalty corner and the Diekhoff-McCollum connection took center stage. The insert was received by Erb, who sent a soft pass to Diekhoff to elude the onrushing defender. It was already not the way the play was supposed to go.
“It was supposed to go straight to Maddie (for a shot), but we freestyle if we feel stressed or we can’t get the ball in, so she passed it off to me,” Diekhoff said.
Diekhoff dribbled to her right and centered a pass that found the stick of McCollum with her back turned toward the goal.
“In situations like that, everyone is huddled near the goal and everyone’s stick is down. The only way to get a goal is to lift it up,” McCollum said. “I’ve been working on those back lifts, so I knew that was the best choice.”
In a tight space, McCollum flicked a reverse shot that fluttered over each Marquette defender’s stick, over Bossi’s shoulder and into the top of the netting to give Eureka a 1-0 lead with 3 minutes and 42 seconds remaining in the game.
“That goal kind of came from nothing, which was pretty awesome,” Diekhoff said.
McCollum, a two-time state placer in girls wrestling, is often the shortest player on the field, but also the most noticeable. She scored her team-leading eighth goal through creativity and fearlessness, and exhibited both from the outset of the game by feathering soft passes into dangerous scoring areas for her teammates to retrieve.
Eureka earned two corner opportunities in the first four minutes and dominated play in the opening quarter.
“Usually, we start the game slow and I think that was the best start I’ve ever seen them have,” Menchella said. "Our possession game and the way we kept the ball in our (offensive) end was awesome.”
Led by senior Cece Kreh, Marquette (7-3) earned its own corner opportunities and scoring chances in the second and third quarters. Kreh blasted a heavy shot off a penalty corner that senior Addison Hardin knocked down, and senior Brooklyn Banderman took a Kreh missile off her shin.
But nobody felt the wrath of Kreh’s heavy shot like Diekhoff.
After a whistle, Diekhoff bravely stood five yards away from Kreh and braced for impact. The Suburban Yellow conference defensive player of the year last season, Kreh rocketed the ball up the field with as much velocity as possible, and Diekhoff’s grimacing expression was followed by brave deflection or a colorful bruise.
“The key is taking it to the right, so it’s really important that I’m there to block the ball on the right,” Diekhoff said. “When you do (block) it, it’s such a relieving feeling to have your chance to take it down the field to the goal.”
And when Diekhoff was unable to knock the ball down, defenders, led by senior Kaylee Gross were there to prevent any scoring chances for Marquette.
“I’m always making sure I’m back, figuring out who to guard, hitting the ball out and making intentional passes,” Gross said.
And with chemistry and toughness, Eureka has figured out how to win close games, winning its fourth game decided by one-goal, including a 4-3 overtime thriller against Westminster on Tuesday.
“We have a slogan called ‘40%.’ When we feel like we’re exhausted, and our brains are telling us we can’t go anymore, really, our bodies still have 40% left to give,” Diekhoff said. “It’s a motivator and it helps us score goals at the end of the game.”
Like they did in historic fashion Thursday.
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Eureka senior Lilly McCollum (4) and Marquette senior Erin Huff (17) battle for possession during a field hockey game on Sept. 22, 2022 at Marquette High School in Chesterfield, MO | Ben Vessa STLhighschoolsports.com
Eureka sophomore Gillian Lochmann slides a pass past Marquette senior Samantha Berger (20) during a field hockey game on Sept. 22, 2022 at Marquette High School in Chesterfield, MO | Ben Vessa STLhighschoolsports.com
Marquette senior Cece Kreh (16) tries to avoid the defense of Eureka senior Addison Hardin during a field hockey game on Sept. 22, 2022 at Marquette High School in Chesterfield, MO | Ben Vessa STLhighschoolsports.com
Eureka senior Madison Erb (22) leaps into the arms of senior goalie Anna Hollenbeck to celebrate the first win over Marquette in program history during a field hockey game on Sept. 22, 2022 at Marquette High School in Chesterfield, MO | Ben Vessa STLhighschoolsports.com
Eureka senior Lanie Diekhoff braces for impact from a restart by Marquette senior Cece Kreh (16) during a field hockey game on Sept. 22, 2022 at Marquette High School in Chesterfield, MO | Ben Vessa STLhighschoolsports.com
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