On Saturday, Nov. 2, the women's field hockey team lost against the New England College (NEC) Pilgrims in double overtime in the first round of the Great Northeastern Athletic Conference (GNAC) playoffs. Despite the 2-1 loss, the players fought hard throughout the match as senior goalkeeper Courtney Tello accumulated 14 saves, a testament to her career.
New England College entered the game with a 16-4 record compared to the Lasers’ 10-9 record. The Pilgrims played aggressively, with 25 attempted shots on goal and 10 penalty corners, far more than the two taken by the Lasers.
Freshman forward Mara Boldy remarked that the Pilgrims were “more physical” than the Lasers but did not receive the correct calls from the referees. She believed the Lasers were “fully capable of beating [NEC],” but that the circumstances of the game were out of their control. Boldy summed up the game with, “Eventually someone [had] to score and NEC was the one to do it.”
Sophomore defender Lily Reidy clarified the challenges the Lasers faced in this game, noting that one of the players was playing with a hand injury, one player was out of the game entirely, and “even had a player out for 5 minutes due to a card” but still “held [the Pilgrims] for the entirety of that.” Reidy highlighted the strength of the team despite their circumstances and does not feel that the Pilgrims eliminated the Lasers, but “got lucky with one shot.”
Lily Reidy carries the ball vs New England College at Grellier Field
Photo Credit: Lasell Athletics
The field hockey team is hurt by the loss, but the players continue to share a strong bond. Boldy says the team got along great and that everyone brought something “so incredible” to the group. She is saddened by the fact that she will not get to play with the graduating players next season, and adds that “the real killer was the fact that it was a winnable game.” Unfortunately, the Lasers just “couldn’t come up with the win that day.”
Reidy holds a similar sentiment about her teammates, stating that “she couldn’t have asked for a better family,” especially because she had to redshirt her freshman year, making this her first season with the team. Reidy also feels that the true loss of the season was that some of “the girls that are not coming back next year.” She describes the season as “a learning experience,” explaining that it was a rocky start with the team, and they are still figuring out their identity. By October, Reidy says everyone just clicked. “We got ourselves together and became the most scrappy, hardworking, and gritty team in the GNAC,” she stated.
Boldy also feels that the team truly took off halfway through the season. She says by the second half of the season they “all found [their] rhythm and connected more on the field.” Minus the loss, Boldy says she “wouldn’t change anything” about the season. She and her teammates are done licking their wounds and ready to soon contend for a GNAC championship title.
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