On September 12, Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey fought hard against a very talented Ethel Walker squad through unfavorable, wet conditions. The game started slow because of excellent defense from both teams. Ethel Walker had some great chances in the first half, but good goaltending by Gina Driscoll ’20 kept the game locked at 0-0.
On the offensive side, captains Tracey Stafford ’19 and Kaitlyn O’Donohoe ’19 advanced the ball well and generated some excellent opportunities.
About 10 minutes into the game, Stafford put one by the Ethel Walker goalie. Ethel Walker responded to the goal with lots of pressure and shots. Driscoll came up big with save after save. The score stayed 1-0 until the end of the half, but it was obvious the Ethel Walker attack would not give up.
As halftime came to a close, the skies opened up, but the game carried on. The Choate attack created many chances, but it couldn’t break through. O’Donohoe carried the ball upfield and took a shot that the Ethel Walker goalie just saved. Despite the excellent save, the rebound was left right in front of the net for Claire Gavin ’21, who scored to give Choate a 2-0 lead.
Ethel Walker responded strongly again, taking shot after shot on Driscoll. One shot finally slipped into the back of the net, and Choate’s lead was cut in half. The game was back and forth as both teams traded opportunities. Eventually O’Donohoe put one past the Ethel Walker goalie, giving Choate a 3-1 lead.
The game returned to its back-and-forth style. Ethel Walker had a possession with six shots with only the last shot finding its way into the Choate goal. Walker followed up that goal with a two-on-one rush, during which it tied the game at three goals apiece.
Choate found itself stuck in its own half as Ethel Walker had another big possession. Another great shot from Ethel Walker gave them a 4-3 lead with only minutes left in the game. Despite their excellent efforts, the Choate girls could not put another one in the back of the net.
After the game, O’Donohoe said,“I think that the team played really well for our first game. I was impressed with both the returners and the new girls on our team. I’m very excited for the season to come. I think we have so much potential this season.”
