In a violent and thrilling game, the Gloucester Field Hockey team beat top opponent Swampscott 2-1 Friday. 

Captain Ella Costa and Anna Cinelli were major goal scorers in the game, hitting the back of the net in the second and third quarters respectively.

The Fishermen started out the game strong, but the Big Blue struck first with a goal by Chloe Puzzo at the first quarter buzzer. Costa tied up the game with 45 seconds left in the 2nd, with Cinelli scoring with 9 minutes left in the 3rd.

The forward line was a strong force against the Swampscott team. The Fishermen had more than 5 shots on the goal, dominating Swampscott’s side of the field. Captain Abby Lowthers assisted both of Gloucester’s goals, along with putting up a few shots herself. However, Joie Cody was arguably the player of the game. She dominated both offense and defense, putting pressure on the Big Blue. Sawyer Groothius, a major player for Swampscott, was a threat throughout the game for the Fishermen.

Sophomore goalie Keagan Jewell saved four out of five Swampscott shots, with diving saves. Fellow sophomore Emma Carrapichosa helped on defense, along with Elliana Parsons and Maddie Jewell in the midfield. 

Swampscott made deliberate penalties that the referees were not calling, with one girl falling on top of a Gloucester forward to prevent her from shooting. The Fishermen were getting hurt left and right, from Costa getting slammed in the leg to Cody getting whacked in the head. Anna Hafey and Cinelli also got injured by Swampscott. Several injuries were bloody.

Number 12 on Swampscott, Sophia Cicciotti got carded twice, once with a green card and a yellow card. Cody of Gloucester also got a green card.

“This was a solid win for the team,” head coach Lauren Riley-Gove said after the game. “There was a lot of great ball movement and communication. We played as a team and were ready for the challenge. The only downside to a win like that is playing a dirty team affects the authenticity of the game. Instead of playing good field hockey, it was scrappy [and] aggressive play. Swampscott is a talented team. If they stuck to skills and ability it might serve them better. I’m proud of Gloucester for playing hard.”

The team move to 6-1-1 on the season and are ranked 4th in Division 3. They play Masconomet on Tuesday at home, so show some support for the girls at 4:30pm in their journey to be state champions.