The Bromfield varsity field hockey team started the season strong with four consecutive shutout wins. On Wednesday, Sept. 9, Bromfield beat Lunenburg at home with a final score of 1–0; on Friday, Sept. 11, they won 2–0 at Tyngsborough; on Wednesday they defeated Gardner away with a score of 4–0; and finally, in a high-intensity game against one of its most competitive rivals, Bromfield beat Oakmont at home 2–0.
Senior Suzy Opalka runs upfield with the ball in a home game against Lunenburg. So far the team has won against Lunenburg, Tyngsborough, Gardner, and Oakmont. (Photos by Sam Jackson)
Senior captain Maddie Ragno is the team’s highest scorer with a total of four goals, followed by senior captain Suzy Opalka with two. Midfielders have played an active role in goal scoring, with sophomore Chandler Farley and eighth-grader Ella Corbett each assisting one goal. Corbett scored one of the goals against Gardner, and junior center-halfback Meaghan Parlee scored against Tyngsborough on a stroke after a Tyngsborough defender blocked a sure goal with her body.
Bromfield, a team that primarily practices and plays on grass, played Tyngsborough on turf. After a slow start in the first half, the Trojans quickly warmed up to the faster game and scored both their goals in the second half. At halftime, Coach Sue Silver emphasized the importance of hard passes horizontally across the midfield line to change fields and open up space for travel down the field. In the second half, Bromfield’s passing improved markedly and the pace of the play increased, pushing the ball into Tyngsborough’s end for most of the half.
A force to be reckoned with
Bromfield went into the Oakmont game expecting a challenge, knowing Oakmont to be a team with high intensity, hard hits, and good stick skills. Bromfield scored with 5 minutes and 15 seconds left in the first half, and then again with 1:49 left in the second with both goals scored by Ragno, assisted first by Corbett and next by Opalka.
This year, the team is smaller than it has been in recent years, with a total of 17 players, including one eighth-grader, one freshman, and three sophomores. Opalka says, “As such a young team, we did not know what to expect, but we have since proven that we are still a force to be reckoned with.”
This year’s team is especially fast; though Oakmont made many hard stops, Bromfield consistently beat Oakmont players to the ball. Many Bromfield players frequently use reverse chips and reverse stick skills, which proved highly effective against each competitor. However, players still struggle to master the elusive aerial, a high ball that must travel safely over players’ heads into open space or to a single receiver in order to be deemed legal. Referees often call illegal aerials when the ball’s arc is dangerously low or when the hitter launches it into a crowded grouping of players.
In the Oakmont game, both teams faced penalties for 5-yard advancement; in every game, Bromfield has received a green card for this penalty. On free hits, opposing players may not stand closer than 5 yards from the player taking the hit. Each team gets a warning, but the second time this rule is broken, the player that committed the infringement receives a green card, meaning she must sit out for two minutes. This happened to both Oakmont and Bromfield, and the referees reminded both teams that the next penalty would result in a yellow card, which requires the player to sit out for five minutes.
In pursuit of a league title
When asked about their secret to success, players respond similarly, emphasizing the importance of team dynamism and support. According to junior forward Kate Connors, “This year the team works especially well together. When I pass a ball I am confident that my teammate will be there to receive it. The fact that we have bonded so well is definitely our team’s secret weapon.” Coach Silver and players refer to the team as a family; Ragno recounts, “There’s not a girl on the team I don’t trust, and I love them all. I think that shows on the field.”
Last year, Bromfield tied with Oakmont for the league title, and this year players look to win it again.
Bromfield will play again on Thursday, Sept. 24, away against its other major rival, Littleton.
Lily Moore-Eissenberg is a senior at the Bromfield School and a member of the field hockey team.
