The varsity field hockey team hoisted the IAAM B Conference championship trophy for the second time in as many years on Sunday, November 1, after defeating Maryvale Prep 1-0 at Stevenson University. The victory capped off an undefeated in-conference season for the Patriots and a memorable field hockey career for the seniors, including two of the captains, Claire Grunewald and Katie Sullivan.
Their biggest challenge of the season came in the semifinals, when they defeated Indian Creek 2-1 in double overtime. “That game was so high-strung and stressful,” Sullivan said. “After we won that battle, we were confident in our ability to play our best and win in the championship.”
In the championship game, the Patriots kept the ball on Maryvale’s side of the field and hammered away 12 shots, with Sammi Edwards scoring the only goal of the game. The Patriots evolved from underdogs at the beginning of last year to the number one seed and eventually back-to-back IAAM Champions. “The biggest lesson I learned was to not give up,” Grunewald said. “You can lose the ball, but you have to always fight back and get it. You have to give it your all on every play.” As the team to beat next year, Head Coach Gary Scholl will be taking it one game at a time and reminding his team of those lessons. For now, they can enjoy some time at the top of the IAAM B Conference.
Photo courtesy of IAAMsports.com.