Varsity field hockey falls to Lynnfield

Varsity Field Hockey lost to Lynnfield in the North Conference Finals, breaking a 10 game winning streak, and ending a record breaking season. 

The teams met last Saturday on a cold afternoon. A close decision of 3-2, the Pioneers were able to pull off a win against the Fishermen. Gloucester had a couple chances to patch the deficit, but the studded defense of Lynnfield kept them at bay. 

At the start of the game, Gloucester seemed to have a stronghold on the field. Mia Salah scored a goal seven minutes into it. Gloucester stayed on Lynnfield’s side of the field, dominating the first half. 

By the time the ten minute mark came around, the momentum of the game had shifted. Lynnfield was making more frequent runs down to Gloucester’s net. In the last five minutes of the first half, Lynnfield netted two goals. The first by Carolyn Garofoli and second by Madison Murphy. 

Lynnfield had taken a one-point lead and gained control of the game. 

The second half started off with a bang. Cammi Cooper tied up the game just two minutes in. She was followed by an immediate goal off a corner from Lynnfield’s Isabella Scalah. The Pioneers again had their lead at 3-2.

For most of the second half, the game moved at a steady pace. Maddy Machado made frequent runs down the field, usually cornered by a Lynnfield defender. 

The final five minutes can be summarized as a last heroic attempt by Gloucester to send the game into overtime. Gloucester had the ball for most of these minutes, but once again, Lynnfield’s defense showed to be superior. Gloucester made it close to the opponents net, but never connected with a goal. 

Time ran out when Gloucester was pushed back onto its own side of the field and couldn’t get back past the half field line. 

Coming off a back-to-back conference title and the loss of eight talented seniors, the Fishermen Field Hockey team were expecting the 2019 season to be a rebuilding year. They had a core of 7 returning varsity members, including a goalie, who all put in the work in the offseason. 

To start the season, the fishermen went 0-2-1, winning no games. However, things quickly turned around in what the team likes to call “their Cinderella story” and they managed to earn some wins. 

After a final loss against Danvers in the regular season, it was “all gas no breaks” as the team says. Then they went on an 8 game win streak, scoring 43 goals total and only letting 7 in from various opponents. This landed them at the sixth seed in the state tournament with a record of 11-3-2. 

The fishermen have consistently made it further than any other NEC team since Coach Lauren Riley Gove and her father Don Riley stepped into their roles in the program. 

Capping off the season this weekend, the Fishermen finish 14-4-2. Their playoff run was their longest since 2001.