For most teams, being able to flaunt a perfect record at the end of a season is all a sport is worth playing for. But, for the Golden Knights field hockey team, winning isn’t everything.

This year, the team’s seven seniors decided to use their final season as a teaching opportunity for the younger players. “Field Hockey is a team sport, meaning the team wins and loses together. Not just one individual is responsible for the team’s loss” said team manager Tijana Paljan. The girls wanted to encourage the team to keep up a healthy bonding experience in the future, regardless of their record. 

After heading into their second to last game of the season on Friday, October 21, with a record of 0-13, the team was prepared to take another loss.

But the team was eager to end the season on a high note according to co-captain Melissa Brennan.  “Early on, we realized that we had so much potential to beat this team, and since we scored early on, it just pushed us to want to win even more.” Brennan lead the team to victory against Passaic Hills by scoring both goals of the game— bringing the final score to 2-1. 

For the other seniors on the team, getting to spend their last game with their teammates was more important than anything else. “I will miss it all—the game, my friends, my coaches,” said Viganola. “I will miss looking forward to practice after school and somewhere I can escape from real-world problems and stress.” 

As the team looks forward to their final game on Tuesday, October 25, they hope to keep up the same spirit and drive they had on Friday as they go head-to-head against Dwight Englewood. 

To Golden Knights Field Hockey, team effort is more valuable than a record. “[Our goal] is to keep up momentum and positivity,” said Viganola. “When we play, we don’t say we’re going to win—we prove that we want to win.”