That's how Haddonfield coach Lindsay Kocher characterizes her field hockey team, and yesterday visiting Gateway found out exactly what she means.

Led by Liz Rexon and Olivia DiMatteo, the Bulldogs launched a barrage of shots at Gateway goalkeeper Miranda Yahrling, who did a superb job of rejecting most of them.

However, Rexon and DiMatteo combined for three goals in the second half, the Bulldogs' stifling defense held Gateway to one shot on goal in the game, and Haddonfield walked away with a 3-0 Colonial Conference interdivisional victory on Senior Day.

Haddonfield (10-0-1 overall and conference) peppered Yahrling, who replaced injured starter Kirsten Holmstrom five games ago, with seven shots in the first half and 11 after intermission.

The senior was so impressive in the face of Haddonfield's pressure that Kocher praised her and her teammate, Cate Cusack, a forward who continually helped to clear the ball.

But with 25 minutes, 9 seconds remaining in the second half, Rexon, a junior left wing waiting on the penalty-stroke line, took a cross from DiMatteo and fired a bullet into the left corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.

About six minutes later, DiMatteo dodged the sweeper and slammed a reverse shot into the right corner for a 2-0 lead.

"Scoring on Senior Day means a lot, especially coming off a tie with Collingswood," said DiMatteo, who scored her sixth goal of the season. "We definitely want to maintain our lead in the conference."

Rexon wrapped up the scoring when she took a pass from Tori LaMaina and buried a shot in the left corner with 1:21 on the clock.

DiMatteo is the personification of Haddonfield's relentlessness, according to Kocher, and the center forward joined her teammates in pinning the Gators (6-5-1, 5-5-1) in their own end throughout most of the first half.

But despite the pressure and the 7-1 advantage in shots, the Bulldogs had nothing to show for their work at intermission.

"We struggled with our free hits all over the field and couldn't finish," said Rexon, a junior, who has nine goals.

"In the first half, Gateway did a great job defending but we were able to stop the ball [when the Gators had it] and keep going to their end."

Senior midfielder Chelsea Lightcap, who took Gateway's only shot, said the Gators have a strong forward line, but it and the rest of the team need to show more intensity on the field.

Gateway 0 0 - 0

Haddonfield 0 3 - 3

Goals: Liz Rexon 2, Olivia DiMatteo.

Saves: G–Miranda Yahrling 15. H–Aria Gillespie 1.

or biezzi@phillynews.com.