The field hockey fall season got off to a rocky start for Harwood Union High School; however, in the past few games, the team has proven its ability to reach the State Championship playoffs, and now the team is poised to win the championship.
Harwood Union High School’s field hockey team has had a strong reputation to uphold, having won three consecutive state championships in 2010, 2011, and 2012. At the beginning of October the team was ranked 6 out of 10 in the Vermont Field Hockey Division 3 League. The team has won 3 games, lost 7, and tied 3 during the regular season. This could once again be their year.
Highlanders have noticed that the team has been working really hard through the season, and this has been rewarded in the last few games. “As the season goes on, we’re definitely progressing in our ability to play and work together, and even though we’re not winning, it is going pretty well,” said senior captain Maggie Belknap.
The team has students of varying age competing alongside one-another, but this does not defer from their sportsmanship and camaraderie. “I feel like it takes a lot to get used to because there’s so many younger kids and not a lot of older people. It can take some practice, but we’ve definitely have started to work really good together,” Maggie Belknap assured.
A few weeks ago, during their pink game, the Highlanders scored an impressive result – a tie- with Stowe’s historically strong program. Stowe is currently 3rd on the ranking and Harwood had lost 3-1 against them in the first game of the season, showing Harwood’s improvement. “It’s doing better than last season, I have to say that we’re winning more games; I think we’ve won three games which is pretty crazy,” sophomore forward Maisy Gendimenico announced.
One particular success was on Monday, October 7th, when the Highlanders fought through a game against the two year consecutive state champions, Montpelier, and brought a 0-1 win home. Gendimenico scored in the second half, assisted by the senior Ava Reagan during a penalty corner. The team managed to maintain control of the game thanks to the sophomore goalie Camille Edgcomb, who made amazing stops, and all the players worked to block the ball out of their field and keep it for most of the game.
This specific win has brought the Highlanders hope for the state championship. “I think that if we continue to work really hard and just put in a ton of effort and play how we did on Monday [the Montpelier game] we definitely could have a chance,” senior captain Maggie Belknap stated.
Highlanders proved all this hard work in their first playoff where they beat Stowe’s team. The game resulted in a 1-1 tie after overtime and went into a shootout. Senior Zoey Gallagher, junior Alexia Cantallops, Reagan, and sophomores Kaylie Magee and Jane Schaefer stepped up during the shootouts and with the work of goalie Edgcomb, the team brought another win home and was ready for the semifinals.
“I think we just have to focus really hard and get out of the end-of-the-season slop that the captains were talking about. We have to really put our mind to it and work together and believe that we can get there.” Maisy Gendimenico claimed.
This year the team has come really far, surprising a lot of people and if they continue playing like these last few games, chances are that we will see them in the state championship.
