Monday's Hall-Dale/Winthrop field hockey game was such a good game in a great rivalry that I didn't have enough space to get everything in the story.

Hall-Dale came in at 4-6, and had lost 2-0 to Winthrop earlier this season. Winthrop (which was 7-3 entering the game) ended up controlling the first half and the overtimes, and Hall-Dale had a slight edge in the second half.

Two players who really stood out were senior midfielder Hannah Rau of Hall-Dale and senior back Kayla Kimball of Winthrop. Both players ran for all 76 minutes, and not coincidentally, always seemed to be around the ball.

"That's the first time all season I've really seen her step up like she did today," Hall-Dale coach Jess Callahan said of Rau. "I'm really proud of her. She was hustling to and from, back and forth. Even when she was tired, she never gave up on us. The girls look to her and especially in the overtime, she really stepped up."

"(Kayla) was just all over the place today," Winthrop coach Sharon Coulton said. "Even in the 7-on-7, she was stopping breakaways, and somebody who plays deep defense isn't supposed to be able to keep up with the other team's fast forwards after 70 minutes, but she does."

Callahan was also happy with her young defense (almost all sophomores and freshmen). Winthrop had more scoring chances than the Bulldogs, but Hall-Dale's defense was pretty solid.

Hall-Dale also seems like a pretty loose team. Early in the game, Callahan exclaimed, "Sweet mother of Mary!" after a play she didn't like. (Yes, she really said that.) This was repeated at least twice by Hall-Dale players during the game.

Winthrop is very close to being a scary playoff team. The Ramblers haven't been run off the field by anyone, and if they can get just a little more punch on offense, they'll be dangerous in the postseason.