Nine wins. Fifty-four goals. One team. The girls varsity field hockey team kicked off their season with an electrifying 9-1 win over the Framingham Flyers, setting the tone for a successful season. They navigated highs and lows as the season progressed, ending their season with a 9-7-2 record.
Head coach Emily Hunt said the team’s defense was a large part of their success despite initial concerns.
“Last year, we graduated our entire defense, including our MVP goalie, so there were a lot of concerns going into the season that our defense wasn’t going to be as strong. We rebuilt the defense, which was a huge key to our success,” Hunt said.
Senior and captain Piper Kelly said the team’s game against Natick on Oct. 11 was a defining moment for them and brought them closer together.
“One memory that always sticks out to me is the Natick game we won. It was an away game, and we played well as a team,” Kelly said. “But our bus didn’t come until 9 p.m., so we were stuck out there, but we were celebrating together, and we all felt united in that moment.”
According to Kelly, in the middle season, the team faced some adversity, but they were able to come back stronger and focus on the rest of their season.
“Every team has their low moment in the middle of the season, that dip where we start to lose the honeymoon part of the season when we’re all super excited. But we were able to find the motivation to keep going into playoffs,” Kelly said.
The team was the 25th seed this year and advanced to the playoffs. However, they fell short to 8th seed Bishop Feehan in the first round. Hunt hopes to continue to see the field hockey team grow and go farther in the state tournament soon.
“Only one team gets to win the State Championship. Losing to Bishop Feehan wasn’t a low point, but it left us feeling like we could have accomplished more and gone further in the tournament. That’s our goal next year,” Hunt said.
Senior and captain Charlotte Toole said the players’ confidence increased throughout the season, which helped the team grow.
“I think every player got more knowledgeable about the game [throughout the season], but I think it was our attitude and confidence that helped us,” Toole said.
Toole said that Hunt did a great job of recognizing what the players needed throughout the season and that Hunt considered the players when planning practices and other team events.
“She [Hunt] tried hard to make sure she was listening to what everybody needed. We started a few practices with circles about what we needed to do well, what we needed from our teammates and what we needed from her,” Toole said.
Kelly said that the program as a whole worked to stay bonded, and the varsity team held bonding events to stay united.
“We did a lot of conditioning together, and we also had Friday fun practices as a whole program during the season,” Kelly said. “[Varsity] also did a lot of team dinners and traditional bonding activities to stay connected.”
Senior and captain Fiona Keegan-McGlinn hopes to see the youth program expand and result in a better team.
“I want the youth program to grow more. If kids start playing field hockey at a younger age, the high school team will advance and be taken more seriously,” Keegan-McGlinn said.
As the youth program grows, Hunt hopes to see the team continue to advance in playoffs.
“We have a good returning group. So our goal next year is to get an even higher [playoff] seed and advance in the tournament,” Hunt said. “Our league is very tough, but I think the returning group will get us there.”
Hunt said that the team’s eight seniors have greatly impacted the program since they began playing.
“This senior group has been part of the success since the beginning. They made the tournament three straight years,” Hunt said. “So it’s hard to put into words how much we will miss them. But I know the younger players have learned so much from them.”
