Belchertown learned it the hard way – don’t mess with the GHS Field Hockey Team.
The Fishermen beat the Orioles Friday night in a 7-0 fight. Captains Ari Scola and Abby Lowthers had hat tricks along with a goal from Lily Pregent. Pregent had 4 assists while Captain Ella Costa had 2 and Anna Cinelli had 1.
The Fishermen set the tone quick, with Pregent’s goal scoring with 9 minutes left in the first. Lowthers scored 2 minutes later. The girls were good at passing, as well as getting the ball up to the Oriole net.
Lowthers scored her second and third goals in the second and third quarters. These quarters were quiet beside her goals. The Fishermen started to lack drive and were getting sloppy with their passes. Before the fourth quarter, head coach Lauren Riley-Gove reminded the girls that despite being up 4-0, they need to bring their all.
Her speech got the girls back into their groove and it resulted in Scola’s three goals. Their passing game was back and they came out even harder than the first three quarters.
Costa was strong both offensively and defensively, being an important player for the Fishermen. Along with her assists, she was strong on offensive and defensive corners. Joie Cody was strong on defense and was not afraid to fight for every ball coming her way. Anna Hafey had strong drives up the field and Bella Goulart had a strong passing game. Jordan Palk and Emma Carrapichosa also were strong on defense.
The team displayed a good performance both on offense and defense, with the team being a force to be reckoned with. The entire team was strong and worked as a unit, with good communication and strong passes.
Sophomore goalie Keagan Jewell was rock-solid in the net, blocking a hard shot on her stick side. She dove across the net and deflected the shot, confirming yet another shutout.
As the Fishermen move on to the next round, their NEC opponents do to. #12 Swampscott plays against #5 Foxborough Tuesday while #9 Danvers plays against #8 Dennis-Yarmouth Monday. The only way the Fishermen would play these teams again would be in the state final. Both Swampscott and Danvers are on the opposite side of the MIAA bracket from Gloucester. If both Swampscott and Danvers win both their current and upcoming games, they would meet in state semi-finals. The winner of that game would go onto play in the finals.
While Belchertown was ranked 26th in Division 3, the 7th ranked Fishermen have a bigger opponent to focus on now. They now play East Longmeadow, the 10th seed, who’s record is 18-0. The Fishermen look to give the team their first loss of the season and move on to the next round. Come to Newell Stadium this Tuesday at 4 p.m. to support the girls in their round of 16 battle.
