HOLDEN — If onlookers at the CMADA (Central Mass Athletic Directors Association) field hockey semifinal matchup noticed an extra bounce in the step of the Wachusett Regional players this past Friday, don’t blame them for comporting in such a celebratory demeanor. After all, wins over visiting Nashoba High have been fleeting over the years. That’s why the Mountaineer girls were ecstatic carrying off a 2-0 shutout over the Wolves, making Class A Wachusett primed and ready to meet their next opponent, Shrewsbury, in the tournament finals Nov. 1.
“I’m proud of the team and how well they’ve played this season,” said WRHS head coach Kerry Berry, whose tournament second-seed team overall record improved to 13-3-2. “The last two CMass games, we’ve played opponents in our league. It’s tough to play a team three times, but this team comes out to win every time. Last year we were knocked out of the tournament in the semifinals, so to make it to the finals this year is awesome. Next week’s game will be tough, but we will be ready.”
“We played really well together,” echoed junior Lillian Chaisson. “There was a lot of intensity out there, so that was really good. We’re working well together with our passing. The first half was kind of rough, but in the second half we really worked together.”
“We’ve been working well together,” echoed sophomore Emerson Johnson. “We get our passes down, and we work really hard at practice. We’ve been working on getting those tips at practice, like passing to the middle and hoping a forward tips it in.
“There’s more pressure in a playoff game like this because we really want to win. I really like when the crowd is cheering us on. It gets intense and stressful, but we like it.”
What would become the winning goal occurred late in the opening half when senior captain Olivia Valentine took advantage of a scrum of players in front of the Nashoba goal. The ball eventually scooted free, allowing Valentine to knock it home for a 1-0 lead at intermission. Lilly Staiti padded the lead with the team’s second goal of the night. Julia Kirton recorded the shutout in net for the Mountaineers.
“We’re rivals with Nashoba, so we knew it was going to be a good game,” said Valentine postgame. “Being able to win in a game like this is something special.
“We’ve become so it’s easy to pass. We have the chemistry together and are really good friends on and off the field. Playing the sport together is really fun. We all love each other like a family, and if we mess up, they’ll be there to help you.”
Members of the 2022 Wachusett Regional High varsity field hockey team are Vittoria Amico, Lilly Bumpus, Sydney Carlson, Lillian Chaisson, Kate Connors, Elizabeth Guertin, Kathryn Guertin, Jordan Jarvi, Emerson Johnson, Julia Kirton, Kate Louder, Kaleigh McGurl, Lyndsey McGurl, Jenna Mills, Megan Morrissey, Lucy Patterson, Ella Perry, Julia Queeny, Elizabeth Sawyer, Lily Staiti, and Olivia Valentine.
