While many students traveled home for Thanksgiving Break, the Varsity Field Hockey team braved the cold Connecticut weather and stayed behind to compete in the New England Championships.

After leaving the quarter and semifinals with big wins against Sacred Heart and Nobles, the team faced off against Andover on Sunday, November 18. In games against Andover and Sacred Heart, co-captain Abby Hillebrecht ’19 assisted or scored in all three goals, and goalie Amanda Hill ’19 had nine saves. Although the team played a tough game and saw impressive performances from many players, it was unable to secure the win against Andover.

The Varsity Field Hockey team saw many changes this year, including Kait (KP) Leonard ’06  stepping up to replace Robin Chandler ’87 as Head Coach. Despite this transition, the team has ensured its core playing style, traditions, chemistry, and values remain the same. Co-captain SK Hurlock ’19 said, “We adapted pretty early on to KP’s different, but equally high level of coaching, and took the changes in stride as a team. We have definitely maintained the traditions and team chemistry that make Hotchkiss Field Hockey so special.”

Although the team lost to Deerfield for the first time in many years at the start of the season, it served as a motivating force and important influence on the players’ attitudes in the playoffs. Hurlock said, “[Our loss against Deerfield] pushed us to put in the work that led to our success against one of our biggest rivals, Greenwich Academy, and later our run in the playoffs.”

This season was the last for many seniors on the team. Although the girls did not place first in the New England Championships, both new and old members say they will cherish the experiences and memories they have made through this season. Hurlock said, “What I [will] miss most from field hockey season is the opportunity to spend hours every day with my favorite people at Hotchkiss, doing what I love in one of the places I love most. I am so lucky to have been part of such a tight-knit, loving group of girls for four years. [The team] is the thing I will miss most when I leave Hotchkiss in the spring.”