The girls’ field hockey team is lead by Head Coach Katie Fritz and senior captains Allison Hargrove, Jillian O’Keefe, and Cara Schettino. Although only surmounting a total of 4 wins, 12 losses, and 2 ties, the amount of improvement seen in each individual and the dedication displayed by the team as a whole surpassed their expectations.

From the beginning of the season to the end, the girls trained every single day, either at practice or going against another team in a game. This time was well spent, as Fritz commented, “We have a great group of intelligent young women who have done a great job of taking our coaching points and putting them into action on the field.”

A major focal point in this season’s practices was positioning. New positioning systems contributed to the team’s season highlights, such as their 4-0 victory against Demarest, a team that had defeated the girls with the same score just last year. Fritz clarified, “In the past scoring has been difficult for our team, but this year we have worked hard to improve our deflections in the circle and created more scoring opportunities by staying in the right positions.” The countless practices visibly have improved the girls’ ability and proficiency on the field.

This year, two freshman players joined on the varsity team, Allie Callahan and Remy Barker, and quickly adjusted because of the welcoming nature of the team. Callahan stated, “It was very intimidating at first, but all the girls were so supportive and helpful and it was so much fun. I’m so sad it’s over.”

There were several key players who helped create and solidify the team’s highlights. These were Hargrove, O’Keefe, Schettino, senior Julia Scheinbach and junior Sam Helfman who played midfield, defense, center forward, offense, and inserter respectively.

Hargrove reflects on her field hockey career commented, “I met most of my best friends today through playing. Everyone on the team is genuinely friends with each other, and this aspect translates to our play on the field.”

Hargrove mentioned that she believes that the team did exceptionally well this year, as they have improved their win to loss ratio from the past years even though they’ve competed with the teams at the very top of the league. When asked if she could give any advice to next year’s team, Hargrove stated, “I would tell my teammates to keep working in the off-season… [but] I would also tell them to have fun while they are playing the sport because too often we get caught up in wins and losses and before you know it your high school career is over.”

Overall, with exceptional dedication and a positive mindset, the season has been a success for the team. “These girls have great chemistry,” Fritz stated, “They are not only teammates on the field but have genuine friendships. No matter the outcome of the game, they support each other and build each other up. It has been a pleasure watching the team improve this season.”