In the heat of battle, when a team is pressing to score goals, sometimes the difference between winning big or not at all comes down to something basic that gets missed amid the shuffle of activity at the point of attack.

For the Southern Regional field hockey squad this fall, making sure the stick is down near the cage has been that difference.

“Throughout the season, we’ve been up against some of the best defenses we’re going to see around here, and we’ve played with them and been in most of…