Last Saturday’s game against Sacred Heart was frustrating for Girls JV Field Hockey; after four tied games this season, the team suffered a loss, with a score of 0-2. With many new players, the young team teeters on the cusp of success. This year’s training is crucial in building a strong lineup for the future. 

This season, the JV Field Hockey team consists mostly of upperclass students who previously played on the Thirds team. Many of the newcomers do not have a lot of game experience and have had to adjust to the rigor required in JV. Liv Parsons ’21, a former member of Thirds Field Hockey, said, “There is more of a focus on skill, [and] that is [to be] expected, but everything else is the same. The coaches are all passionate [about] the sport and the team is supportive.” 

To ensure that everyone gets time on the field, a decision was made to make the team smaller this year. However, as Ashley Spark ’19 noted, this can be a double-edged sword when it comes to substitutions: “We need to find a balance between having a small team and handling illness.”  

The team has one big advantage: its positive attitude. Team captains Maggie Ryan ’19 and Annabel Duval ’19 have been making sure everyone is integrated into the team by making psych cards for two players every game day and organizing team dinners and lunches. Ryan said, “We’re doing well as a team; it is not like one person is outshining everyone else. Our team is working together as a unit.” 

During its game against Westminster, the team put to use the techniques it has learned in practice. For example, the girls were awarded corners, which are critical opportunities to score goals. Yuka Masumura ’21 said, “We’ve been trying hard to score more goals in games, because we’ve been tying. We have worked on staying in our own positions and communicating with each other better.” 

Head Coach Maggie Crain believes that improvement will come as the players gain more experience  and build their confidence. She said, “They don’t realize how good they are yet, and what talent and capability they have. A goal of mine is to build that confidence in these young women; that’s what going to move us to a win.”