NORTHFIELD — Heading into its season finale, the Pioneer Valley Regional field hockey team needed a win or a tie to secure a playoff spot.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, they closed out their schedule against three-time defending WMass champion Greenfield High School.
The Green Wave beat the Panthers, 7-0, on Thursday afternoon in independent play.
Pioneer seniors Ella Potee, Jennie Fuller, Sydney Unaitis and Athena Fowler-Shaw played their final game for the field hockey program.
“We know their rep,” Unaitis said of Greenfield. “We are a young, small team; it’s just kind of intimidating. We can’t really help that.”
Fuller was the leading scorer during the season for the Panthers (7-8-2).
“I am glad we got as close as we did to tournament,” Fuller said. “But it is sad. We really wanted to make it.”
Potee missed most of her senior season with a concussion, while Fowler-Shaw made 14 saves in her final game.
The Panthers lost to Amherst on Wednesday.
“We played yesterday and we played super hard and it was a very even game against Amherst,” Pioneer coach Sallie Gilliland said. “I think when you have back-to-back games like that with limited numbers, it’s tough. I think they played a great season. We improved since day one. I can’t say anything more than I had a great season watching them grow.”
Meanwhile Greenfield (12-5-1) poured on the offense in its final tuneup before the postseason.
Racquel Provost scored twice for Greenfield to give the Green Wave a 2-0 lead midway through the first half.
“We’re on a high note right now,” Provost said. “We are playing our best heading toward tournament. We keep improving at practice, in games we just keep up the pressure. We have to keep the pressure up. Communication is key.”
After scoring three goals in the first half, Greenfield applied even more pressure in the second half.
“I told them at halftime we need to step it up,” Greenfield coach Erin Thayer said. “We need to make sure we are still moving in the upward direction as we are getting ready for tournament. Second half was better. Communication was better. We had a lot of pressure on goal today, which was good.”
Katie Haselton jammed the scorecard with two goals and three assists for the Wave.
Madyson Kuchieski scored twice to open the second half.
The second goal came on a pass from Amber Taylor, who found Kuchieski near the post for the deflection goal past Fowler-Shaw.
Taylor scored a goal of her own on the assist from Haselton with 6 minutes, 43 seconds left in the game.
Kaylah Eggsware went down with a right ankle injury in the second half and had to be helped off the field.
“She can’t put any pressure on it right now,” Thayer said. “She’s probably got a pretty good sprain. She was hustling her butt off everywhere. If I don’t have her it will be rough. She is one of my best players.”
Ainslee Flynn did not have to make a save in the shutout for the Green Wave.
Greenfield had 13 total penalty corners, while the Panthers had one in the second half.
Greenfield 7, Pioneer 0
|
Greenfield |
3 |
4 |
— |
7 |
|
Pioneer |
0 |
0 |
— |
0 |
Goals: (G) Provost 2, Haselton 2, Kuchieski 2, Taylor.
Assists: (G) Taylor, Haselton 3
Shots: Greenfield 26. Pioneer 0.
Saves: (G) Flynn 0. (P) Fowler-Shaw 19.
Corners: Greenfield 13. Pioneer 1.
