Paige Skyrm, Reporter
@pskyrmcourant
With memories of last year’s exhilarating victory over Darien in the FCIAC tournament, the Rams girl’s field hockey team had high expectations for this year’s game against the Blue Wave on Tuesday, September 22. However, the Rams were unable to repeat last year’s triumph as they lost 4-0 to rival Darien.
Although the team lost eight key players last year, including seniors Elizabeth Miller and Isabel Taben, they still had high hopes in beating the Wave. “Players who were in more of a supporting role last year are now the ones being looked to as the key players to lead the team, which is a large adjustment,” Head Coach Erin Gildea said. “This year we are looking to rely on depth and teamwork more.”
Prior to the game, the team focused on mentally preparing themselves for the challenge ahead. “We felt the pressure, but we knew if we just focused and played as a team and not as individuals, we would have a huge chance of winning,” senior co-captain Claire Conley said.
Fellow co-captain Rhian Ball also knew that to win the game, the team would have to make very few errors. “We reiterated the fact that we could not make simple mistakes and we stressed the basic skills in practice,” she said. “We knew that in order to win, we had to start strong and try and limit our mistakes because they are a team who punishes you for them.”
Ms. Gildea made sure to remind them that it was still early in the season, and work rate was more important to her than a win. “I told them I knew they were good enough to beat Darien, but that as long as they played hard for 60 minutes, I would be happy,” Ms. Gildea said.
New Canaan’s game started off calmly, but the tempo heightened as time went on. “We started off slow and made some mistakes early on so they were able to put a couple of goals in,” Rhian said.
Despite the loss, the Rams fought hard throughout the game and were still able to make some strong plays. “There was one play where we were able to take it up the right side of the field and cross it into the circle,” Rhian said. “Unfortunately it didn’t lead to a goal.”
The girls are optimistic regarding the rest of the season, and think they’ll keep their energy high into the postseason. “Time can only tell how far we will go in the off season but I see FCIACs and States in our future,” Claire said.
Although the girls didn’t come home with a victory this time, they still have high hopes for the rest of the season. “If we continue to improve and play to our full potential consistently, then I believe we will go far this season,” Rhian said.
