With a well rounded and strong offense, accompanied with a defense that is unstoppable, the girls varsity field hockey team is continuing to dominate their opponents. They have recently gone on a win streak, winning their last two games against Millbrook and Cheshire Academy.
Before their win streak, however, the Wyverns suffered a tough loss to Pomfret. “It was a hard loss,’’ junior Co-Captain Keegan McMahon said. “We just took a step back and refocused ourselves.” The Wyverns couldn’t pull out a win, losing 4-2. However, the Wyverns quickly bounced back, refocusing themselves and setting some goals for the next few games. “We’ve been focusing fast passes,’’ Head Coach Nicole Blake said. “It will help with passing while players are sprinting down the field.”
The Wyverns went on to win against Millbrook 5-1 and Cheshire Academy 2-1. When asked what contributed to the team’s success, Coach Blake had one name. “Abby McLaughlin,” she said. “She has been the glue of this team.” Sophomore midfielder Abby McLaughlin is known to play at 100%. She is a fast goal scorer, racing and weaving through the opponent and taking powerful shots on goal. Her intensity, drive, and competitiveness push her teammates to the next level.
Coach Blake said that sophomore midfielder Arie Lang has also been a fierce player. “She has been moving the ball down the field with finesse and feeding her teammates with great passes,” Coach Blake said. Lang has also been a consistent goal scorer, contributing to her team’s victories.
In addition to contributions made by Lang and McLaughlin, a stellar defense has made the Wyverns a dominant team. Junior defender Margo Dowgiewicz and McMahon played an outstanding game, stopping their opponents offense time and time again. Coach Blake talked about her defense and how well they have been playing lately. “They are an integral force on this field that does not let much get by them.”
The Wyverns went on to play Ethel Walker school on Friday, Oct. 11. Last year, the team suffered a tough loss against them, losing 4-3. It was a test of their ability and improvements as a team. This year, however, the Wyverns turned the table and showed their opponent who they really are, winning 3-2. When asked about the reason for their success, junior midfielder Victoria Swanson talked about how well KO has been playing as a team.“We just all really connected and started to play as a team instead of individuals,”she said.
The Wyverns have also had more success taking what they learned in practice and implementing it in their games. They practice different skills depending on what games are coming up and how challenging their next opponent is. This is evidenced by the continuing progress of McLaughlin as well as junior defender Cami Forslund, both of whom made great contributions to the win. In addition, the Wyverns scoring was on fire, as three different people scored against Ethel Walker: Goals were scored by senior forward Co-captain Alex D’Addabbo, junior forward Izzy Burke, and junior forward Co-captain Cici Chagnon.
The Wyverns continued to dominate, leaving their opponent Hopkins in the dust, sweeping them 3-0. They continued to gel as a team as well as grow as individuals. For instance, junior Goalie Caitlin Budzik played her best game this season, stopping all her opponents shots and earning herself a shutout. “Caitlin played really hard throughout the whole game,” McMahon said. Similarly, the Wyverns continued to put up points on the board, with scores from D’Addabbo, Burke, and Lang.
The has tied last season’s wins, and if they keep on their current win streak, they will surely shatter their previous record. “Our goal moving forward,’’ Coach Blake said, “is to continue winning the rest of the season.” The Wyverns play their next game on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 3:00 against Wilbraham and Monson.
The team looks to bounce back from their Hewett Day loss and achieve the goal of winning more games than they did last year. If the team wins one more game this year, they will end up with a winning record.With a winning record, the chances that the team makes the playoffs increases drastically.
