HART – Natalie Rosema was in a league of her own Monday, April 28, as the sophomore speedster finished at the net three separate times to lift Hart over Ravenna, 3-1.
Rosema was a threat from the jump, manning the outside wing and terrorizing the Bulldogs with killer speed. That led to a goal in the first 20 minutes of the first half, as Rosema collected a wayward ball, made a defender miss and fired a low shot past the Ravenna keeper.
The Pirates had several other scoring opportunities in the first half, but failed to convert them. With only a single goal on the board, Ravenna punished Hart for not gaining a larger advantage, knotting the game up with 14 minutes remaining until halftime.
That goal came from Irene Faidi, a Spanish foreign exchange student that Hart Head Coach Joe Gilbert acknowledged as a key threat.
“We knew (Faidi) was the one person we had to watch today,” Gilbert said. “We had to be on her and be her best friend. All she needs is 10 seconds of time from 25 yards out and she can convert. That’s what led to (Ravenna’s) goal.”
Hart’s defensive tactics were clear, keep the ball away from Faidi and if she did manage to collect a pass, trail her closely. Olivia Bradley and Addison Barefoot were tasked with that job for the majority of the game, only allowing Faidi to get by on a few occasions.
Bradley was also key on offensive, helping turn the tide in favor of the Pirates to start the second half. With the wind at her back, Bradley launched a high ball for Rosema to collect deep in Bulldog territory. Rosema pressured Ravenna’s keeper on the pass, forcing her to misread the bounce, allowing the ball to bound over her head and toward the goal. Rosema finished it off in the back of the net, pushing Hart in front 2-1.
Only a minute passed after that goal before the Pirates struck again. After a ball traveled out of bounds, Rilynn Porter took advantage of a throw in opportunity. Porter launched the ball over the defense, finding Rosema who had already taken off. Rosema placed a shot toward the back post, beating the keeper to complete her hat trick.
“I don’t have a lot of money, but I’d bet every dollar on Natalie winning a foot race against any girl,” Gilbert said. “She is freakishly fast, so we wanted to take advantage of that. Then you have Olivia who pinged a ball to the net and allowed Natalie to crash. Then, Rilynn knew she had Natalie up top and – for as scrawny of arms as she has – took advantage of a huge throw in.”
Hart improved to 4-4-1 overall with a 3-2 record in the West Michigan Conference.
