Hopkinton News : field hockey

Hopkinton field hockey falls again in state semis

Bow Editor — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:53:00 GMT

They can take pride in the fact they’re constantly one of the top teams in the state. But that’s little comfort to Patty Connolly and her Lady Hawks.

For the fourth straight year, the Hopkinton girls field hockey team completed a fine regular season, earned a high playoff seed and made a strong push into the Class M-S semifinals.

For the fourth straight year, the run ended there. The fifth-seeded Lady Hawks, who beat No. 4 Mascoma on the road to reach the semifinals in Bedford, fell to top-ranked Berlin, 3-1, despite controlling play for much of the second half.

“Having been to the game the last three years, they really wanted to do whatever they could to get to the next level,” said Connolly.

They almost did.

Though the locals expected to pull an upset, especially with the knowledge Bedford High’s artificial turf played to their speed, Berlin scored during the first minute of play, which Connolly said took some wind from her team’s taut sails.

Roughly 15 minutes later the Lady Mountaineers extended their lead to 2-0, but Hopkinton remained focused and drew within one when Brittany Dow connected with fellow standout Hannah Richard less than two minutes before halftime.

The Lady Hawks attacked immediately in the second half and maintained control of the ball for most of the next 14 minutes. They had many opportunities to score, but Berlin goalie Hilary Lemelin denied shot after shot.

Berlin coach Nicole Arguin called a timeout with 16 minutes remaining in the contest, which seemed to refocus her players, and a couple minutes after Hopkinton goalie Megan Edmonds came out of the net to deny a one-on-none breakaway with a spectacular diving stop, Berlin’s Kara Poirier knocked in her own rebound to secure the victory.

“They never gave up. They kept believing they could do it,” said Connoly. “We had our opportunities. We controlled it (deep in Berlin territory) for a long time, but I give credit to them and their goalie. Their defense was very strong back there.”

Making the loss that much more difficult for the Hopkinton mentor is the knowledge she’ll lose seven seniors – Remley Johnson, Amy Smith, Megan Wilson, Liz Crews, Brooke Porter, Brittany Dow and Taylor Adamski – who played key roles in the Hawks’ success this season.

“It’s going to be a much younger team next year, and losing those seniors leaves a lot of holes,” said Connolly. “I would hope we can get to this game again, but realistically we’re going to have to grow a lot during the season to get back here.”

Still, Richard returns with fellow juniors Jess Pennell, Danielle Gonzales, Mimi Ramsdell, Christina Hurley, Margreta York, Emma Hunt, Claudia Lawton and Miranda Murphy. Sophomores Edmonds, Ali Campbell, Kara McCluskey and Kelsey Dow also come back.

Hopkinton field hockey, determined to advance, again reaches semifinals

Bow Editor — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:24:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

For the third consecutive year, the Hopkinton field hockey team is headed to the Class M-S semifinals.

This season, coach Patty Connolly said her team has the talent and the desire necessary to take the next step and perhaps win the school’s first field hockey championship.

First, however, they must defeat No. 1 seed Berlin. That’s not an insurmountable task; the Lady Hawks have already proven they can win in a hostile playoff environment.

They traveled to fourth seed Mascoma on Saturday, Oct. 25, and upended the hosts, 2-1.

They also hit the road during the regular season to face defending state champ Derryfield, this year’s No. 3 seed, and handed DS its only loss. Hopkinton faces Berlin on a neutral field – Bedford High School. The contest was scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 29.

“Berlin should be tough, but all the top teams are very tough … And having seven seniors who have the experience of being in this game should really help us,” said Connolly. “We are all very driven to make it to the next level.”

Against Mascoma, Hopkinton faced an early deficit when the Royals scored exactly four minutes into the game.

But Hopkinton fought back, and with five seconds remaining in the first half, Brittany Dow took a pass from Brooke Porter and drove the ball past the Mascoma goalie to knot the contest at one.

Connolly said the goal gave her squad the momentum heading into the second half, and they capitalized. At 19:42, Brooke Porter notched her second assist on a corner pass when she found Hannah Richard, who put the Lady Hawks ahead for good.

Though both squads had other opportunities, Connolly said the strong defensive play of Emma Hunt and Amy Smith helped preserve the victory. Megan Edmonds contributed five saves in net.

Three days earlier, the locals opened the postseason with a 5- 1 triumph at home against Newport. Connolly said her players weren’t taking the 12th seed lightly after these same foes took them into overtime earlier in the season.

Richard eliminated any doubt among her teammates when she scored two goals in the first two minutes of play.

“This allowed us to relax and just play the kind of passing game that we have been all season,” said Connolly.

Sophomore Ali Campbell tallied two more scores and sophomore Kelsey Dow added one. All five goals came in the first half.

Hopkinton field hockey team wins against defending state champs

Bow Editor — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:29:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

For the sophomores and freshmen on one sideline, it was an unwelcome first.

For those on the other sideline, it was the first step in a campaign they hope carries them to a state title.

The defending state champion Derryfield field hockey team – led by Hopkinton’s own Ann DiPastina and Katherine DiPastina, the school’s all-time leading goal scorer – carried a 21-game winning streak into its Tuesday, Sept. 16, home matchup with Hopkinton, a team it defeated, 1-0, two weeks earlier. The Lady Cougars left with a 2-1 loss, their first setback since the 2006 playoffs.

“It is a great feeling, but it feels even better because we lost to them the first time,” said Hopkinton coach Patty Connolly. “To win on their beautiful turf is very satisfying.”

The Lady Hawks returned all but three players from their 2007 semifinalist team, and Connolly said she hopes the experience of reaching the final four two years in a row will translate into two additional postseason victories this year.

“I have eight seniors, so hopefully this will be our year, but you never know, this is a funny game,” she said. “Definitely, our expectation is to take that next step and, with a little luck, be in that final game.”

Despite the most recent result, both Connolly and Derryfield coach Lenny McCaigue agree it’s still the defending champs with the target on their backs.

“I think we’re still a little bit under the radar, but everyone wants to gun for the state champions,” said Connolly. “Maybe this will wake some people up, but I don’t feel people are really taking us for real yet.”

That’s why she knows her squad must continue to prove it’s among the Class M-S elite. Sophomore Megan Edmonds fills a vacancy in net. She’s progressing steadily, as evidenced by her 12 saves against Derryfield, said Connolly.

Junior Danielle Gonzalas, who played soccer last fall, never competed in field hockey prior to this season, yet she’s stepped in and had an immediate impact on the team’s offense.

In fact, Gonzalas scored both of Hopkinton’s goals against the Lady Cougars. The first came on a Taylor Adamski assist that knotted the contest at 21:08 in the second half, and the game winner came courtesy of Hannah Richard with 11:35 remaining in the battle.

Richard and Brooke Porter, said their coach, played outstanding in the midfield and kept constant pressure on Derryfield.

“If we had gotten a second goal before they scored, I don’t think they would have had the same momentum,” said McCaigue. “But they came out very motivated today and played a physically strong game.”

Captaining the Lady Hawks this year are Porter, who Connolly said contributes all over the field, Adamski, who anchors the backfield, and Brittany Dow, who has led Hopkinton in scoring the last three years.

Others making contributions for Hopkinton this season are Amy Smith, Mimi Ramsdell, Christina Hurley, Megan Wilson, Margreta York, Emma Hunt, Liz Crews, Remley Johnson, Claudia Lawton, Miranda Murphy and Ali Campbell.

Hopkinton siblings lead Derryfield to championship

Bow Editor — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:15:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

When Katherine DiPastina joined the Derryfield field hockey team as a freshman, she excelled immediately, not only starting throughout the season but led the Cougars with 12 goals.

So it came as no surprise to Derryfield coach Lenny McCaigue that, when her younger sister, Anne, joined the team, there were some striking similarities.

“They are both impact players,” he said. “On the field, they of course look for each other, and they definitely have that sister-to-sister connection.”

The two just completed their first field hockey season playing together – they practiced together when one was in sixth grade and the other in eighth at Hopkinton Middle School – and Katherine agreed with her coach.

“(Anne) really stepped up a lot this year, and she’s made me that much more competitive,” said Katherine.

“Having her on the team with me just makes me more comfortable. I mean, I’ve had fun every year I’ve played field hockey because (the players) bond like crazy, but it’s amazing having Anne on the team. We know each other so well. It’s really easy for us to work together.”

Anne said Katherine’s experience has been irreplaceable. “She definitely taught me a lot in terms of drills and playing, and she helped me learn during practices and even in between halves during games, so I understood (the game) better,” she said. “She’s been a great mentor.”

Though Katherine is a forward and Anne is a midfielder, both have taken their ice hockey backgrounds – seven years playing together, including four for the Lady Monarchs – and translated their on-ice success to the turf.

“The contact in ice hockey certainly helps them be intense and aggressive in field hockey,” said McCaigue. “We’ve actually had to tone that back to fit in with the rules of field hockey.”

“When we’re fighting over the ball it gives us a one-up on other girls because we’re more used to being physical and taking the puck,” said Anne. “(As a midfielder) you have to shut (the opposition) down before they even get to the defense, so being aggressive definitely helps, and I think it’s also helped Katherine because she has the physical ability to just plow right through defenders.”

As a sophomore, Katherine broke the Derryfield single-season scoring record with 24 goals, then broke her own record this season by putting 29 goals in net.

As a junior, she long-since passed the DS career record of 39 goals and seems well on her way to putting the mark out of reach for some time.

In addition to Katherine’s stellar speed and ability to change direction without slowing, McCaigue said she has the intuition to always be in position to one-time the ball.

“She has the natural goal scorers’ ability to be in the right place at the right time and get her stick on the ball … and she’s not scared to miss, whereas some forwards will pass off in those situations rather than take responsibility for the goal,” he said.

“At Derryfield, we talk about being a forward with a capital ‘F’ as opposed to a forward with a lower case ‘f.’ She is a forward with a capital ‘F.’”

McCaigue’s experience as coach of the U.S. National Field Hockey Team tells him Katherine has the “it” factor. He said her innate ability will help her excel not only at any level of field hockey but at any other sport she plays. Anne, while not yet a prolific scorer, is perfectly suited to center Derryfield’s midfield the next three years. That suits McCaigue just fine.

“I think she is more of a creator than a dynamic goal scorer, yet she has the same qualities (as her sister) in terms of speed and intensity and aggression and just a real desire to compete,” he said. “I’m planning on building my team around Anne next year.

We talk about the center midfield position as being the center of the wheel and her spokes going all over the field, and I see her being that hub that provides a smooth transition between defense and offense.”

Playing alongside Julia Maldonado, who McCaigue said is one of the best players in state, Anne overcame some early troubles and learned to use her aggressiveness to control the midfield.

Six games into the season, the coach said she was playing at a junior level, far exceeding his expectations of a freshman player. Anne contributed five goals in the Class M-S championship run.

Fit to be tied – Senior day at Hopkinton fun yet frustrating

Bow Editor — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:42:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

The postseason cost of its second-half lapse was kept to a minimum. But a relapse like that – at this time of year – means a collapse of Hopkinton’s field hockey season.

In the final regular-season game for both teams, the Hawks tied the visiting Berlin Mountaineers, 4-4, on Friday, Oct. 12, during senior day at Hopkinton. That means:

• Hopkinton dropped from the No. 3 seed in the Class M-S postseason to No. 4;
• Hopkinton’s only regular-season losses are to the division’s two unbeaten squads;
• Hopkinton faces stern treatment in practice from its disappointed head coach, Patty Connolly.

The Hawks posted a 10-3-1 record, but the girls, had they been able to maintain a 4-1 edge with less than 20 minutes remaining, were in line for the No. 3 seed. It went to Berlin instead.

“We’ve got to talk about how to hold onto a lead,” said Connolly. “We need to keep our intensity up
at all times.”

For more than 40 minutes, the hosts played with drive, following the example of senior tri-captain Jackie Reen. Wherever the ball was, she was. She also earned an assist on Hopkinton’s final score, firing a hard shot that was stopped near the Berlin net; fellow senior captain Joanna Fortier tucked it into the goal.

Brittany Dow tallied both first-half scores for the Hawks, giving the locals a 2-1 edge at the break.

Hannah Richard’s score less than six minutes into the second half built the Hopkinton lead to 3-1.

But following Fortier’s goal, Berlin controlled play through the end of regulation, scoring two goals within one minute to cut the deficit to one, then tying the match with five minutes remaining.

The teams traded several three-on-two and two-on-one scoring chances in the 15-minute overtime, but Hopkinton goalkeeper Elyse Sedgley, after faltering during the Mountaineers’ comeback,
literally kicked aside a handful of point-blank Berlin shots to maintain the deadlock.

The senior captain joined Reen, Fortier, Pam Keilig and Julianne Power for a post-game thank you from Connolly, who enthusiastically recognized the contributions of the quartet and acknowledged the soon-graduating Berlin seniors, too.

Yet Connolly promised to point out the necessity of playing 60 minutes – not 40 or 45 – of heads-up field hockey to the girls, especially in the playoffs.

Still, the team has changed markedly since a season-opening 7-1 loss to Newfound Regional in August and a pair of close midseason setbacks to Derryfield.

“They’ve gotten to know each other and where they’re going to be on the field,” said Connolly. “And I’ve got a lot of great leaders that we need to set the example.”

On Saturday, Oct. 20, No. 4 seed Hopkinton hosts the winner of the Mascoma vs. Mascenic Regional match, which is scheduled to take place Thursday, Oct. 18.

Hopkinton traveled to and beat fifth-seeded Mascoma in the beginning of the season. The Lady Hawks have not played 12th-seeded Mascenic Regional.

Should Hopkinton win that quarterfinal-round match, the likely semifinal-round opponent would be top-seeded Newfound Regional, which has outscored its 14 foes 93-9.

The semifinals take place at Bedford High School on Thursday, Oct. 25, at 5 p.m.

Painful loss – Hopkinton falls in shutout; player injured

Bow Editor — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:10:00 GMT

BY DAVE CHOATE

The girls of the Hopkinton varsity field hockey team knew they were going to have a rough time against undefeated Derryfield.

No one expected it to be this rough.

Hopkinton lost to unbeaten Derryfield on Sept. 12, 2-0, dropping the Lady Hawks to 4-2.

Hopkinton fell behind early in the game thanks to a quick goal from Derryfield senior Katherine DiPastina.

Far worse for the Hawks, senior midfielder Jackie Reen was hit in the face by a high stick from Derryfield player, forcing her to leave the game. Reen was helped from the field and required four stitches to close the bleeding wound near her ear.

Derryfield followed with another goal near the end of the first half by Kelly Schwarz, which capped the scoring.

Hopkinton clamped down in the second half thanks to excellent defense from senior defender Joanna Fortier and goalie
Elyse Sedgley, but the Hawks could not generate any offense. A series of too-high passes generally kept the team close to its own goal.

“That was kind of unusual for us, and I think we were taking things a little too fast,” said Hopkinton coach Patty Connolly.

“We talked about taking shots a little quicker against a team like Derryfield, but we were rushing it a bit.”