November 7, 2023 – Story and Photos by Joshua Ross
The Harborwomen ended their season on a 8-0 run outscoring their opponents 46-1 in those games. They haven’t let there foot off the gas during their first two playoff games beating Silver Lake (for the third time this season) 2-0 and Milton 4-0, and it wasn’t even that close.
Digging into the some of the numbers will show just how dominate Hingham has been so far in the post season. 21 penalty corners vs Silver Lake on Friday. Zero shots allowed in the Milton game. Five different goal scorers in those two wins.
This team has a confidence about them that is apparent from the first touch of the match. And it’s building with every game they play.
“On Friday (vs Silver Lake), it’s very hard to beat a team three times, there were a lot of nerves and we got those out of the way,” head coach Sue Petrie explains. “Today we stepped out on the field and said this is our field and our team and keep doing what you’ve been doing all season. They really have a system and they stick to it and it really showed today.”
It would have been easy to get a little frustrated in the Silver Lake game playing so well, dominating play, but not scoring until late in the game. But there never seemed to be any worry in the players and they just kept at it until it paid off with a tip in by junior captain Sienna Brackett off a pass by sophomore Ryan Hallisey. Next penalty corner, junior Haylen Wilson put one in over the goaltenders shoulder to secure the win.
“We have talked since day one of preseason that you win and lose games on the corners,” describes Petrie. “We’ve won games and lost games on corners in tournaments in the past and I think realizing after 21 corners, it took to the 20th to score, that’s something we defintely worked on in practice the last few days, and they certainly excuted them today.”
It’s easy to focus on the offense this season and post season, but it’s been the defense that has been the star of the show. The goal differential is unworldly and it doesn’t even demostrate what it actually looks like on the field.
“We were able to shift to a more offensive line up this year because we have so much trust in our defense,” Petrie goes on to say. “We’ve got a third year starting goalie (junior Becca Kardoos), (senior captains) Anna (Kiernan) and Lily (Samoska) who have been starting since sophomore year, you’ve got (sophomore) Lauren Armstrong who’s a brick wall. Then you’ve got (sophomore) Kaitlyn Manning, who doesn’t even start, is phenominal everytime she goes in. So we really have faith in our defense.”
If you have followed the field hockey program the last few years, the play on the field is night and day. It’s almost like a different sport. It’s fast, it’s technical, it’s efficient, and remarkably disciplined given the make-up of the team. There are nine senior, four juniors, and eight sophomores. One of the most balanced teams that we’ve seen recently in all of Hingham Athletics.
“It truly amazing,” says Petrie with a big smile on her face. “Again, Emily Kelly, who took the youth program and ran with it, has so much to do with that. You see every year the kids getting stronger. I don’t worry about losing ten starters to graduation. I’m losing three starters to graduation this year and I already have players to fill those roles. It’s a great mix to have.”
There is still a lot of field hockey to be played this year, but regardless of how this season ends, the Harbormwomen are set up for long term success in the years to come. Hingham’s Elite 8 game with be at home on Friday at noon against 5th seeded Minnechaug. Check out the Hingham Athletics social media for links to ticket purchase. This will be the last home game of the year since the final two rounds are played at neutral sites.