SHS’s Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey team worked hard this past season, and their work paid off. The team made it all the way to the state semifinals, where they played against Northport High School’s team. While their impressive winning streak unfortunately came to an end when Northport scored a tiebreaking goal in overtime, the team still did an amazing job.

Lauren Barton, the coach of SHS’s Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey team, reflected, saying, “It was an incredible season. I feel so proud of the entire team. We came a long way across the course of the season. I think we played our best games towards the end of the season and I’m really happy about that.”

When asked about what strengths the team had that led it to its success, Barton explained, “I think their strength was that they played as a team the entire time through. Even in our earliest games what set us apart was how we connected with passes. I think we had the support of every member on and off the field.” Barton added that there was a sense of trust and comradery amongst the players. “That’s not really teachable, you know, and I think it just continued to develop throughout the course of the season.” 

Of course, the team couldn’t have achieved so much without its talented players. “With the absence of talent, it would be even harder, but we had such a nice mix of hard-working student-athletes who supported each other in every way,” Barton commented.

However, even with their immense amount of talent, the team encountered some challenges throughout the season. “I think we had a couple of setbacks here and there, and I think we were able to overcome them by taking from those experiences what we needed to improve,” Barton said. “We had a game where we had to play without two of our starters, and it meant that we had to be stronger everywhere else on the field.”

Barton concluded that her most memorable moment from the season was the team winning the section title. “Even though we went on further in the playoffs, I think, at that moment, everyone was smiling from ear to ear and crying at the same time. It was just so emotional. Mamaroneck had been our rival for so long. That was the moment that I remember most.”