City Champions

There were no jitters in the second half either. LFA came out full of belief and charged forward. Samantha Zastre ’20 and Bridget McConnell ’19 stood out with their play as the Angels maintained all sorts of forward motion. Two goals came quickly and, at 3-0, there were fears that this one might run away. Crofton, to their credit, dug in. They found a gear that hadn’t been there all game, which really brought the play back to even. At one point, there was a succession of short corners against LFA and Athena Pucovsky ’19 was called on to make several good saves. Indeed, the goal against was simply a lovely hit off a short corner that Athena had little chance on.

Even with the late Crofton goal, there was never the sense that a full come-back might be in the cards. While some players stood out for LFA, what put them on a level above was that every player contributed and you could see, even from the sidelines, that the girls were playing not only to win, but also to have fun. LFA were just too good (and having too much fun) on this day.

Season Recap
Highlights in an unbeaten season are plentiful, but among them was the Adanac tournament. Always tough against predominantly north shore teams, the Angels were successful. It gave the girls time to bond and brought the team together. In fact, the season was defined by this team’s great sportsmanship and the comradery amongst the players.

Another defining feature of the year was the trajectory of improvement. Great improvements in speed and skill were evident as the team came together. Big thanks are owed to coach Gus and coach Jess Jue ’10 for their guidance and the level of field hockey knowledge they brought to each practice and game.

Goals are often hard to come by, especially at the junior level. Not so for this group. Our goals were widely shared—a testament to the depth on the team. Special mention to our goal scorers: Ava, Samantha, Sophie, Sophie Ho ‘19, Amanda Lee ‘19, Tara McConnell ‘19, and Sara. At the other end, Athena faced shots in practice and games all year, taking more than a few hits that must have stung… and never complained once.  Her positive spirit and leadership helped lead the team to victory in the final game.

Defenders might fail to get mention on a team with as much attack as this group had but you don’t go undefeated without some exemplary defending. Madalyn Luft ‘20, Hannah McGee ‘20, Francesca Yep ‘20, Nicole Hudon ‘19, and Rebecca Fraser ‘19 showed grit and determination on defense. They weren’t afraid to be moving targets in net to stop potential goals. Similarly, our midfield does so much running and controls the pitch. The system only works when they’re engaged and controlling the play. Mimi Wallace ‘20, Bridget, Alexa Dodds ‘20, Stephanie Non ‘20, and Tara guided the game in mid. They showed amazing athleticism, spending most games running the whole length of the pitch.

Many thanks for a great year, girls!

Ms. Diakow