Sports

Fourth quarter push not enough for Fishermen

GHS Field Hockey drops round of 32 to #10 Bedford

ALEENA BROWN, Sports Editor • December 2, 2024

Junior Isla Black was a big contributor during the Fishermen’s loss to the Buccaneers.

Three-year starter Keagan Jewell was the only member of the 16-man field hockey roster to play in a state tournament game. But 14 other players got the taste of the tournament last month in Gloucester’s 2-4 loss to the #10 ranked Bedford Buccaneers.

While the game was a neck-and-neck battle during the first quarter, the seasoned Buccaneers took an early lead within the first two minutes of the game. While the clock dwindled to halftime, Bedford’s Stella Day and Elena Rodriguez knocked two more goals past Jewell.

Jewell stopped 24 shots in the net throughout the game while her Bedford counterpart stopped six. One of Jewell’s saves should have been tallied at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but a controversial call caused a penalty stroke to occur.

NEC All-Conference pick Keagan Jewell blocked 22 out of 24 shots against Bedford. (Aleena Brown)

Jewell dove across the net in an attempt to block a Bedford shot and the ball slid to her. Buccaneer forwards swarmed the junior goalkeeper in an attempt to maintain possession of the ball before the penalty was called. The referees claimed Jewell trapped the ball for an illegal amount of time, making it unable for Bedford to collect the ball.

Sophomore standout Sophia Demeo easily netted the ball during the stroke, giving Bedford a considerable 4-0 lead midway through the fourth.

While the game may have appeared gone in the eyes of spectators, the young Fishermen roster refused to go down without a fight.

At the 6:41 mark, sophomore all-conference selection Olivia Madruga scored off a pass from freshman Mia Rodolosi at the top of the circle.

Gloucester’s second and final goal of the night came from Elliana Parsons. The junior collected a pass from captain Emma Carrapichosa during a penalty corner, shooting the ball to the right corner of the net.

Gloucester had a multitude of chances throughout the game to score, most of which occurred during the final quarter. As usual, head coach Lauren Riley-Gove praised the performances of Madruga, Jewell, Isla Black and Fiona Black. Madruga and Jewell were picked to be a part of the NEC All-Conference team this season.

The team ended with a 9-9-1 record. The entire roster, with the exception of captain Ivana Ferrara, will be back in full force next season.

About the Contributor

Aleena Brown, Sports Editor

Aleena Brown is a junior and the sports editor of The Gillnetter. In her third year as a part of The Gillnetter, Aleena writes about everything (mostly sports). She’s on the Varsity Softball, Track, and Field Hockey teams. Aleena currently serves as DECA President, as well as being a member of NHS, NAHS, STUCO, and more. When she’s not serving bowls at Chipotle, she spends her time photographing GHS sporting events, shopping, and writing poems. You can contact her with story ideas, questions, and comments at [email protected].