CHS field hockey shows promise despite mixed results

Senior captain Julia Ezepik has been the Bulldogs’ defensive anchor through 4 games. (Mike Barucci photo)

It was an up-and-down second week for the Canton High varsity field hockey team as the lady Bulldogs followed up a pair of close losses with a convincing home win over Davenport Division newcomer North Attleboro on Friday afternoon.

Canton’s 3-0 victory against the Red Rocketeers was its second of the young season and moved the team into a tie with Foxboro for first place in the division.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs’ other two opponents last week, Mansfield and King Philip, currently sit in first and third place, respectively, in the Hockomock’s Kelley-Rex Division with a combined won-loss record of 7-1.

And the fact that Canton was competitive in both games is an indication to new coach Chrissy O’Connor that the girls have what it takes to be a winning team.

“We’re still, even now, four games in, trying to find the right positions for people and trying to find the right blend of talent,” said O’Connor, who is now in her second stint with the Bulldogs. “But I think overall the two games that they lost were certainly games they could have won.”

O’Connor said that going into the season, her focus was on getting to know the players and finding the right lineup combinations to maximize their talent. She noted that the team graduated several starters from last year and views this season as somewhat of a “rebuilding year,” although she has been impressed with the girls’ performance to date.

“I think that these girls can compete against anyone in this league,” she said. “It’s just, again, finding the right balance.”

O’Connor is also well aware of the program’s storied history, having previously coached the team from 1997 to 2004 and winning a state championship in her final season. She has remained heavily involved in the sport in the intervening years and continues to run a club program along with her sister, Kelly McGowan, who won an NCAA national championship as the head coach at Bentley University.

Assessing this year’s squad, O’Connor said there is not necessarily one superstar on the roster but there is no shortage of talented players, led by junior Andrea McNeil on offense and senior captain Julia Ezepik in the back field. The Bulldogs also have two talented goalies in senior starter Taylor Carrington and junior Riley Brown, and both girls have gotten their share of playing time in the early part of the season.

As for last week’s action, O’Connor said the Bulldogs “dominated” play in the first half of both losses, but faded in the second half and allowed both Mansfield and King Philip to seize the momentum. The girls ultimately fell to the Hornets 1-0 and to the Warriors 2-1, with McNeil scoring the team’s lone goal against KP.

In the North Attleboro win, the lady Bulldogs made the most of their first half chances, scoring all three of the game’s goals before halftime. McNeil, Emily Campbell, and Maggie Wade each had one goal apiece while Ezepik pitched in with two assists. Carrington and Brown split the goaltending duties and finished with a combined five saves in the shutout victory.

Now 2-2, the Bulldogs were due to host Sharon on Wednesday and will travel to Milford tomorrow afternoon. The team then visits Foxboro on Monday before playing the next two at home versus Stoughton and Franklin.

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