The varsity field hockey season ended on Nov. 2 after a loss against Churchill. With a final record of 11-3, the team showed drastic improvement from their 8-6 record in the 2021 season.

To begin the playoffs, the Patriots faced the Quince Orchard (QO) Cougars at home for a Halloween matchup. After beating the Cougars on the QO grass, the Patriots were confident going head-to-head with them again.

During the first quarter of yet another rainy game, senior Ashley Cook scored a goal. There were hiccups after this, though, with the Patriots getting two green cards and one yellow card. The cards didn’t stop the team from having outstanding defense against QO throughout the game, especially in the first half.

Within the first seven minutes of the third quarter, sophomore Josie Spicer scored a goal, followed by a goal from junior Hayler Cooper. The Patriots received a corner with 1:21 left on the clock for the quarter and junior Naomi Esterowitz made use of this time, scoring the fourth and final goal for the team. While there were no scoring plays in the fourth quarter, the Cougars received two corners, which allowed recent varsity bump-up sophomore Mckenna Kupersmith to get a save.

The game ended with a 4-0 victory for the Patriots. To prepare for the regional championship against Churchill on their grass, the team practiced on the baseball field, allowing them to discuss the best ways to pass the ball as well as get used to playing on a field that isn’t the turf they’re used to. “I think we’re very optimistic. The team has worked very hard and is playing very well together. They’re pretty excited about playing Churchill and are looking forward to a great season,” coach Terry DalleTezze said after practice.

Right after school, the team headed to Churchill for the regional championship. While playing on the Churchill grass was still a challenge, it proved to be much less difficult than playing on the baseball field. The Patriots had lost to the Bulldogs 2-0 in the regular season, but they were not willing to let that discourage them in the playoffs.

Churchill showed great passing skills with aerials and other 3-D skills throughout the game. The Patriots’ defense challenged those passes, knocking the ball out of the air in hopes of getting possession. The entire team shined throughout the game, blocking all 18 of the corners that the Bulldogs received. Churchill scored the only goal of the game in the third quarter, but the Patriots continued to fight through the last seconds in an attempt to score. Unfortunately for the team, they fell short with a 1-0 loss.

This loss was upsetting to the entire team, especially the seniors who played their last game of their school careers. Senior Alli Cheng thanks the team “for helping [her] become a better player and ultimately a better person throughout the years.”

In contrast, it was freshman Nicole Subiela’s first year on the team. As the only freshman on varsity, Subiela thinks that in the next four years, the team will continue to grow as a team and as individual players.