The Gloucester Fishermen Field Hockey team has been struggling the past week, facing two straight losses against powerhouse teams. The Fishermen lost a gritty battle with the Malden Catholic Lancers 2-1, followed by a 2-0 loss against the Beverly Panthers the next day.
The Fishermen and Lancers battled back and forth throughout the first three quarters until Malden Catholic’s Abby Poole scored with ten minutes left. Poole shot the ball to the corner of the net, far from Keagan Jewell’s glove. The Lancers jumped farther ahead two minutes later when Dalia Meyers snuck one by K. Jewell during a tussle in the net.
It wasn’t until a corner attempt in the last minute that Gloucester got a sure chance to get a point on the board. Maddie Jewell shot the ball around the Lancer goalie during a corner attempt, hitting the back of the net at the buzzer.
The game was full of aggressive gameplay, with both teams getting green-carded. Malden Catholic capitalized on chances more often than the Fishermen, but the young bunch persisted nonetheless.
“I would’ve liked to have seen more shots on net, but I was very impressed with how they didn’t let up and scored a goal [in] the last second of the game,” Head Coach Lauren Riley-Gove said post-game. “I was proud of how the girls played hard,” Head Coach Lauren Riley-Gove said post-game. “They were excellent on defense and getting better every game with ball movement.”
As usual, Gloucester’s defense shined. Despite the loss, Captain K. Jewell was solid in the net for the Fishermen, with co-captain Emma Carrapichosa strong in her drives. The match could have gone either way, but the Lancers out-shot the Fishermen in a demanding fashion.
When the Fishermen faced Beverly the next day, the final score ended similarly. The 3-0 Panthers beat the Fishermen in a demanding 2-0 win. Beverly’s Fiona Bazin scored the pair of goals for the Panthers.
The game was far less controlled by the Fishermen, as Panther goalie Charlotte Stevens only faced one shot from the Gloucester offense. That was in stark contrast to Gloucester’s K. Jewell’s game, racking up over 15 saves in the loss.
The Panthers opened the game with a demoralizing goal in the first minute. It wasn’t until the last two minutes of gameplay that Bazin struck again, stuffing the ball deep into the net.
The primarily senior and junior Panthers outpaced the young Fishermen in every aspect of the game. Beverly was more aggressive in the midfield and took more chances than the Fishermen, who struggled to catch up. Despite the hardships, Olivia Madruga was controlling in the midfield. Madruga racked up a majority of Gloucester’s offensive chances throughout the game. M.Jewell commanded the forward line during her shift, the only Fisherman to get a shot against Stevens.
“The girls played a hard fought game against Beverly.” Riley-Gove said after the loss. “It came at a tough time after a week facing aggressive opponents. I am continually impressed with how the girls are coming together and working as a unit. [Masconomet, Malden Catholic, and Beverly are] three of the toughest teams we will face this season. [Playing them early] was a great test. I’m looking forward to see how they continue to grow.”
The Fishermen drop to a 1-3 record on the season after the difficult back-to-back matchups. The team travels to Peabody on September 16th to face the Bishop Fenwick Crusaders in a must-win matchup.
