WA Field Hockey held their ground against North Andover High School (NAHS) but failed to match their opponents’ decisiveness during their Friday, Sep. 6 game, resulting in a 0-3 loss for WA and downgrading their season record to 0-2.
The start of the game was promising for the Ghosts as they charged out of the gate with a determined energy they would carry with them for the rest of the game. However, their hesitation around the net allowed North Andover to take the upper hand early on and stay ahead for the entirety of the game.
“We start off with a few hard teams, so they’re good to get the energy up,” senior captain Audrey Smagula said. ”I want to see enthusiasm, some goals, and a win [for the rest of the season].”
As the whistle sounded to the start of the match, WA was quick to put the Scarlet Knights on defense as they continuously drove the ball to the other side of the field. Smagula was a leader in many of these plays, sprinting to the Knights’ net with their offense in tow. Though once WA arrived at the net, the players struggled to find another Ghost open to receive a pass. As a result, many of WA’s drives down the field faced a dead stop near the net.
“Communication has also been something we’ve been stressing and I definitely think we have started to improve with it,” Treible said. “Keeping our eyes up, having strong, fast passes, being able to receive the ball successfully, and keeping our sticks down are all important things that we’ve been trying to improve on.”
Although NAHS spent less time on the Ghosts’ side of the field in the first quarter, they were able to make more decisive shots while there. The Knights were also more willing to take a direct run at the net. Their direct approach, along with their offensive line sticking close together, allowed them to sneak in their first shot near the end of the first quarter. A lapse in the Ghosts’ defense led to another quick shot from the Knights which allowed NAHS to end the first quarter with a two point lead.
“Our first game of the season against Nashoba was a really tough and defensive game, and it was really rewarding to have a lot more offensive movement in our second game on Friday,” Treible said.
WA kept energy high in the second quarter as they were faced with more midfield defense from the Knights. Junior Lia Arevalo was repeatedly able to charge through, but faltered near the shooting circle as the Knights blocked other WA players and prevented any passes from going through.
“If we work on clinching in on the goal to get rebounds, that will help our game a lot, and hopefully get us some goals,” Arevalo said.
NAHS were not the only ones keeping their defense strong though, as junior Lauren Flaherty and sophomore Avery Votano blocked any gaps to the net and redirected shots from the Knights. Both teams were evenly matched in the second quarter and kept their defense tight, leading to a stalemate.
Heading into the third quarter, the back and forths of the first half had taken a toll on WA, but they continued to make aggressive drives to keep the ball away from the Knights. WA countered with aggressive defense in the midfield with senior captains Rachel Hayley and Lauren Treible blocking and intercepting passes before NAHS could make it to the Ghosts’ net. Even with a strong midfield, WA was unable to keep a group of Knights from making it to the net and tapping in a shot, advancing their score to 0-3 in the third quarter.
By the fourth quarter, the Knights were making it to the Ghosts’ side of the field more often than in the first half, but WA had tightened their defense and were able to keep the Knights on the sides of the field, eventually pushing the ball out of bounds. Sophomore Emily Boneck helped to block many of the shots hit toward WA’s net and prevented the Knights from getting closer to the net.
As the fourth quarter reached its end, the Ghosts had lost some of their determination, resulting in an anticlimactic finish to the game as NAHS took home the win with a final score of 0-3.
“We’ve really worked on goal scoring during practice and I hope that will come to fruition when we play,” Arevalo said. “We also made it to states last year, so hopefully we are able to do the same this year.”
WA will face Weston High School at home on Wednesday, Sep. 11 at 4:00 pm.
