One year after falling to league rival Scarsdale in the Section I final, the Mamaroneck field hockey team is gearing up to avenge last season’s loss and regain its spot as one of the top Class A programs in the state. With a healthy crew of returning starters, they may just be the team to beat in the Hudson Valley.
According to longtime head coach John Savage, last year’s 2-0 loss to the Raiders has been weighing heavily on the minds of his 18 returning upperclassmen over the past 10 months. The result has been one of the best off-seasons in the program’s history.
“I know these girls were really upset about the way the season ended and they are looking to rewrite the finals,” Savage said. “And this year, the offseason has been so smooth; the girls have really worked hard all summer to get ready.”
Mamaroneck’s summer activities included participation in a top-notch Sound Shore league and a trip to Bermuda that saw the Tigers earn a hard-fought 1-0 win over the Bermuda U-21 National Team.
The game, which Savage called one of the most physical he’s seen in his time at the helm of the Tigers’ program, has his squad primed for a strong showing this fall.
Senior Sophie Brill, who will serve as one of Mamaroneck’s tri-captains along with Molly Banks and Emily Mahland, said, “In my opinion, that really set the stage for this season. We didn’t know what to expect coming in, but now we know that we can play at that level and we just have to be consistent.”
The Tigers return the majority of its players from the 2016 team that finished with a 15-2-2 record, and the senior captains believe that in terms of talent and chemistry, there are few squads in Section I that can stack up.
Junior Brigid Knowles, who scored the game-winner in the 2015 state championship game also managed to score the lone goal against the Bermuda team and will be a focal point of the Tigers’ offense this year. Elizabeth Brissette will help control the action from the center-midfield position and junior Alex Lepore has also shined in the preseason, playing primarily on the left wing.
The defense will be anchored by sweeper Banks, Mahland and senior goalie Katie Rasor.
“This is a team that has been playing together,” Banks said. “So you can see that the chemistry is already there; we have a lot of confidence in our teammates, which definitely helps.”
Although the team is well-prepared to make another deep playoff run this year, Mahland cautioned that the Tigers will need to make the most of offensive chances—a problem in 2016—if they hope to hoist the sectional title.
“The passes were there, the chances were there, we just have to finish,” she said. “We just need to continue to get better.”
Both chemistry—and the ability to find the net—will be especially important this year, given Mamaroneck’s grueling regular season schedule. In addition to playing against rival Scarsdale twice, the Tigers will also see Class C powerhouse Bronxville, Class B Rye, Horace Greeley and seven-time Connecticut state champion Wilton.
“This is probably the toughest league and non-league schedule we’ve had in all my years of coaching,” Savage said. “But it is going to help us get ready for reaching our initial goal, which is winning the sectional title.”
