POCOMOKE CITY, Md. – Kent Island field hockey outlasted Pocomoke 1-0 to claim the 2026 Bayside Championship Monday evening in Pocomoke City.
Coming into the matchup, Kent Island had their sights set on back-to-back conference titles, while Pocomoke was trying to claim their first since 2021.
The teams traded blows throughout the first period. Pocomoke created the clearest early opportunity with a backhand shot from Chloe Holland, but Kent Island keeper Brynja Petursson kept zeroes on the board with a kick save to negate the chance. The Buccaneers then made a late push at the end of the first quarter, with Claire Church cleaning up a deflection on the doorstep to put Kent Island up 1-0 heading into the second.
The Bucs controlled possession for much of the second quarter, but the Warriors were able to tighten up on defense and keep the deficit at one heading into the second half.
Midway through the third quarter, Pocomoke forced a flurry of penalty corners but wasn’t able to break through to tie the game. The Kent Island defense continued to maintain the shutout even after a green card was pulled against them late in the frame. With momentum swinging back against them, the Warriors did well to hold off three penalty corners to end the frame and head to the fourth quarter still down 1-0.
Pocomoke was able to generate some good chances down the stretch, but Petursson came up with another huge kick save with a minute to play, helping to seal Kent Island’s championship victory.
