TURNERS FALLS — A year removed from the best season in program history, Rian Lovett wants her Franklin Tech field hockey team looking toward the present.
The Eagles went 15-2-4, won the PVIAC Class C title (the first sectional title in program history) and even won a state tournament game on the road — beating Westport in overtime before falling to second-seeded Manchester Essex in the Div. 4 Round of 32.
While expectations are certainly high entering the 2022 campaign, Lovett said her experienced squad, which lost just three players to graduation, can’t change their approach.
“We kind of try and go about it as business as usual. We go about our practices like we always have,” said Lovett, whose team opens with Belchertown on Tuesday. “I think that I’ve kind of always had the philosophy of success comes from how hard you work. It’s not a given thing. Obviously there are some expectations but the girls are ready for the challenge and they’ve really stepped up.”
Junior Kaitlin Trudeau, who led the team in scoring a season ago and will anchor the unit up front, said last year’s success has only motivated the Eagles to fly higher this fall.
“The bar is set higher but I think we all feel capable of having another strong season,” Trudeau said. “We definitely made a name for ourselves last year, and proved some people wrong. I think we want to try and just keep that going.”
Lovett said last year’s success stemmed largely from Franklin Tech’s team chemistry, which should once again be a strength with a solid nucleus back.
“Let’s go out and prove we can put together a winning program,” Lovett offered. “I credit the kids 100-percent for getting us to this point. They just mesh in so many ways. It’s a cohesive group that just does everything together so it’s an easy transition mixing in a few new players.”
Seniors Kendra Campbell and Keira Stevens return as stabilizing forces in the lineup. Lovett said Campbell will likely see time at a variety of spots, while Stevens is a defensive anchor. Junior Lilly Ross is also back, and she was one of the top scorers from last year’s club.
The sophomore class returns six players who contributed as freshmen, including starting goalie Madison Markwell.
“She did a lot of work this summer to get ready. She does a really good job,” Lovett said of Markwell. “She had a great group in front of her last year and I think she will again this year.”
Classmates Harper Cutting and Lili Inman are likely starters along the defensive line, while center midfielder Hannah Gilbert will once again run the show in the middle this year after a dynamic freshman campaign. Katy Lengieza (forward) and McKenzie Sourdiffe-Masse (midfield) round out the returning sophomore contingent.
Newcomers Avery Heathwaite, Meredith Bistrek, Talia Pederzini-Curtis and Kailey Steiner will look to slot into the lineup as well.
With numbers way down in Athol, Mahar will serve as the host school of a new field hockey cooperative program between the two neighbors this fall.
Head coach Laurie Saisa said that the new co-op will hopefully pay dividends in the years to come, as both schools try and keep the sport of field hockey going in the North Quabbin region.
“We had talked about it last year — we didn’t have a JV team, [Athol] had young players at the varsity level — and then we were able to put it together this year,” said Saisa.
There was just one Athol player on the roster as of last week however, with junior midfielder Lily Rathburn coming into the fold.
Senior goalie Isabella Bisceglia is plenty experienced, and will anchor the defensive unit between the pipes yet again this fall. Bisceglia and classmate Sophia Woods will serve as team captains for the Senators, which open with a home game Tuesday against East Longmeadow.
“Both of those senior captains bring great leadership,” said Saisa. “We lost six (seniors) last year so there are big shoes to fill.”
Laura McGinnis (forward), Shea Woods (forward), Gabriella Matthews (defense) and Haylee Paluk (defense) round out the high school level players on the Senators’ roster, while a pack of middle school players will look to fill out the rest of the lineup.
“The kids are working hard and I’ve seen such a tremendous improvement so far,” Saisa said. “We’re trying to meld together a middle school program while putting them out on a varsity field because we don’t have the numbers there. We’re trying to keep it positive.”
Some talented underclassmen, mixed with a quartet of experienced seniors has Erin Thayer excited about the potential of her Greenfield side this fall.
While numbers are low across the program, the defending PVIAC Class B champions played well and won the Western Mass. Summer League in South Hadley, a solid indicator heading into this season.
“I’ve got high expectations for this season and I think we’re capable of doing some good things,” lauded Thayer, who has been the varsity coach at GHS since 2006. “We are very young though, and we’re very inexperienced at the varsity level.”
Seniors Josie Cloutier (who scored the game-winning goal in last year’s title game with Smith Academy), Cassie Cloutier, Brielle Widelo and Lillia Kachelmeyer will set the table as vets, while junior Ainslee Flynn has been the team’s starting goalie since middle school.
“We’ve got some good talent, but we’ve got to get more into full-field grass mode,” Thayer said.
Defense is where Greenfield will look a bit different this fall. Gone is stalwart Tess Rancourt in the middle, and Thayer said she’ll rely on sophomores Maddy Hayes and Amelia Keeler along the back with Widelo and Cassie Cloutier also in the mix. Freshman Gloria McDonald is another defensive player who will contribute.
Freshman Mckenzie Boswell is one to watch offensively, where she’ll join the likes of Kachelmeyer, MacKenzie Paulin, Josie Cloutier and Ivy Rae. The midfield will see an infusion of youth as eighth-grader Grace Laurie should make an immediate impact in the middle of the field.
Sophomore Laura Stebbins and freshman Henley Gilstrap are other newcomers who will look to make their marks.
There’s a good mix in South Deerfield this fall, where Frontier aims for another postseason run after reaching the MIAA Div. 4 Round of 16 in 2021.
“I think we’re capable of having a successful season,” offered Frontier coach Missy Mahar, who enters her 21st season in charge of the varsity program. “They work really well together. We’re very young, but a lot of those younger players have come up together through the system.”
The Redhawks will rely on three senior captains — Ella Flanders, Lila Roche and Rebecca Wallace-West — to anchor a club that is looking to infuse a healthy dose of eighth and ninth graders. Flanders is back for another season as the team’s starting goalie, while Roche does it all in the center of the midfield. Wallace-West has been one of the team’s top scorers the past few seasons.
Sophomore Claire Kirkendall is a key returning player who will help guide the defensive unit. Sophomore Kyra Richards is the team’s backup goalie.
“We have some great senior leadership to mix in with the younger players,” Mahar said.
Freshman Macy DeMaio (forward) and eighth graders Harper Modestow (midfield), Stella Heflin (forward) and Rowan Reilly (forward) are all expected to make immediate impacts for Frontier.
Out in West County, Mohawk Trail will look to replace five seniors lost to graduation. Paige King is the lone senior on the roster, while juniors Emmy Sisum, Rachel Pease, Madison White and Kaylin Sumner are also back.
“It’s a great group of girls. They’re very dedicated,” said Jenn Pease, who will serve as Mohawk Trail co-coach along with Ashley Walker. “This team is very much still learning but I feel like we’ll be able to hold our own out there.”
The Warriors started a field hockey feeder program in the spring and continued that into the summer. The varsity club has 20 players on the roster, including a six-pack of seventh graders. Sumner and freshman Cleome Gardner are both in the mix for the team’s goalkeeping duties.
“Our field hockey team has always had a great culture of support and bonding between the girls,” Pease explained.
Pioneer reached the Class C title game a year ago before falling to Franklin Tech for the sectional title. This year’s Panthers are short in number but high in talent, led by four returning seniors in Avery Sargent, Kelseigh Sargent, Laura Kahler and Sofia Walker. Kahler is set to sweep while the other three seniors will move between forward and midfield.
Riley Thayer returns in the middle and will key the attack up top for Pioneer, while Kelly Baird is back between the pipes in goal.
Other players on the roster include Amelia Bouchard, Nora Cutting, Laylah Goulston, Lauren Kalinowski, Karinna Kostov, Esme Moran, Kristina Kostov and Kyler McClelland.
“We want to win Western Mass.,” Kerry Baird said. “They can do it. We’re small on numbers but big on talent. They’ve been working hard, they’re in great shape.”
Despite short numbers in the Powertown, the Turners Falls field hockey team will persevere this fall.
Seniors Morgan Dobias, Cady Wozniak and Brooke Thayer provide veteran leadership for the Thunder, while junior Avery Tela is another impact player who returns to the fold.