Field hockey drops to 2nd place in the Watertown state tournament

After starting the MIAA Division 3 tournament with an exciting 2-1 win over East Longmeadow in Oak Bluffs last Friday, the MVRHS field hockey team traveled to meet second-place and undefeated Watertown (18-0-0) at their home field on Sunday. afternoon.

Playing the Raiders is a daunting task for anyone. In 36 seasons, coach Eileen Donahue has led the Watertown 18-state championship. He earned his 700th victory in his career last month, making him one of only seven field hockey coaches in the country to have achieved that mark, and the only coach in Massachusetts to have achieved that achievement. From 2008 to 2017, Watertown remained unbeaten in 184 consecutive matches while collecting 124 game wins. Both are national records. Donahue was elected to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2019.

The Vineyarders gave their best on Sunday, but Watertown played to their record and won 6-0.

“They looked [undefeated]“Vineyard coach Becky Nutton said. “Their record is very impressive. The coach’s record is incredibly impressive. They filled the record and everything we read. They definitely deserved it. I wanted our girls to get into this post-season tournament to get visibility outside of our league and to these teams, because that’s the only way we’ll get to the next level.

Playing Watertown on the lawn instead of the lawn made the already difficult task even more challenging for Purple, who was six goals down at halftime.

“It’s a very different style of play on the lawn,” Nutton said. – A team that has a passer and has access to it raises the game in a way we can’t do on our lawn. The speed at which the ball is held and the variety of stick work that can be developed… on Sunday was much on display. Their entire team was fast and skillful. They scored six goals in the first half, and we looked and felt a little shocked. I look forward to seeing them should win the championship. They were an impressive team, they were well coached, and they also have a good athletic ability.

Despite the pit test, the Vineyarders never wavered in their efforts. “I want to give our girls honor,” Nutton said. – They played the whole game and didn’t give up. They were going to play the game with the same desire as any other game this season. They are playing with their hearts. “

The Vineyarders ended the season with an overall score of 7-8-3 and the Cape and Islands League Lighthouse Division 4-1-3. Coach Nutton was pleased with his team this season and expects continued success in 2022.

“This has been an awesome team to work with throughout the season,” he said. – Most of the team is coming back and hopefully they will remember this season and how far they have come. We won’t start from scratch and lose a whole bunch of players, so we’ll continue to build on everything we’ve achieved this season.