Like any other coach, Lauren Skrenchuk will accept a lopsided victory.
But she does love a good struggle every now and then.
That was what the St. Mary's field hockey team got from Bryn Mawr yesterday in an Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference game.
Fortunately for the Saints and Skrenchuk, senior forward Caroline Feeley's skills were on display.
Feeley scored with 8:51 remaining to lift visiting St. Mary's to a 3-2 win over the Mawrtians in Roland Park.
"The girls did an awesome job finishing," Skrenchuk said. "We have been working on finishing the whole season and today it really showed."
St. Mary's (2-2 overall, 1-2 league) had a hard time solving Bryn Mawr senior goalie Lola Dada, who finished with a season-high 18 saves.
Dada was at her best early in the second half when she stopped three shots in the first 10 minutes to keep the Saints from breaking the 2-2 tie.
During one sequence, Dada saved Feeley's blistering shot before stopping Matilda Adam's point-blank attempt.
"She played her butt off," Bryn Mawr coach Brooke Russ said. "They did a great job crashing the goal, but she did an amazing job of protecting the cage. I couldn't have been more proud of the way she played."
Bryn Mawr pushed the ball deep into St. Mary's territory often in the middle of the second half.
With 16:20 remaining, Ashley Fearey maneuvered around a defender, but her shot was denied by Maddie Gutkowski on a kick save.
About six minutes later, Sarah Glenn's attempt sailed just right of the goal on the one of hardest shots of the game.
Feeley scored the game-winner on a back-handed shot after Dada turned aside Gabby Biondi's attempt from just inside the 16-yard circle.
St. Mary's cashed in the middle of the first half when Spira Rosseau scored on a fast break.
Bryn Mawr's Eden Komar made it 1-1 with 8:30 to go, scoring on a perfect pass from Fearey.
The Saints didn't need long to respond.
Gabby Biondi had an unassisted goal 3:07 later.
Gillian Roeca finished the first-half scoring, taking a crisp pass from Cece Slaughter and beating Gutkowki from three yards out.
St. Mary's held a 20-11 advantage in shots.
"We have played hard all season, but today we really stepped it up," Skrenchuk said. "This was one of our best games of the season."
St. Mary's 3 Bryn Mawr 2
Goals: SM – Rosseau, Biondi, Feeley.
Assists: D – Meehan, Biondi.
Goals: BM— Roeca, Komar.
Assists: BM —Fearey, Slaughter
Saves: BM – Dada 18; SM – Gutkowski 6.
Half: 2-2