CHS field hockey gearing up for playoffs
By Jay Turner
Senior Lila Spinelli and the Bulldogs have high hopes for the D2 state tournament. (Mike Tureski photo)
There is still work to be done, but the focus has now shifted to the upcoming state tournament as the CHS field hockey team eyes a top 10 ranking in Division 2.
As of Tuesday, the Bulldogs were in the No. 10 position just behind neighboring Westwood and they could potentially climb a few more spots if they manage to pull out a win over top-ranked Norwood, who is scheduled to come to town tomorrow for Canton’s regular season finale.
Head coach Chrissy O’Connor said the Norwood game will be a great test for a squad that is right up there with the top teams in terms of talent, yet still lacking in experience and occasionally prone to mental lapses.
One example came on Monday as the Bulldogs struggled mightily in a 4-1 road loss to Davenport Division leader Foxboro. “It will be a short season if they play like this in the tournament, but I’m hoping they can learn from it,” said O’Connor. “I think we played better than the score indicated, especially in the first quarter, but we just couldn’t make anything happen after that.”
The most frustrating part for O’Connor was that the Bulldogs were coming off arguably their most impressive performance of the season in a 2-0 win last Thursday against Oliver Ames, currently No. 13 in the D2 power rankings.
Izzy Digirolamo and Lila Spinelli accounted for the scoring in the game with one goal apiece, and the overall team execution was outstanding, highlighted by a near-flawless passing attack.
“Everything seemed to click for us and it was probably our best game of the year,” said O’Connor. “OA is a very fast team and we made some changes in our formation and it really seemed to help. We also moved the ball really well, and when we play unselfishly like that, we’re a tough team to beat.”
Despite the setback against Foxboro on Monday, O’Connor said first-year goalie Shealyn Murphy has had a “fantastic” season and has earned the confidence of the players and coaches when faced with big-game situations. Several young players have also started to blossom, led by highly skilled freshman Shannon Lane, while the veterans on the roster have been as steady as ever, particularly Laura Valkanas, the Bulldogs’ anchor on defense.
O’Connor said whatever the outcome is against Norwood, the primary goal is to have everybody on the same page going into the tournament. “We’re not there yet, but I think we’re close,” she said. “Hopefully this loss against Foxboro lit a little fire under them, because when everyone’s committed and focused, we’ve proven we can do some really great things.”
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=119733
Posted by Jay Turner
on Oct 27 2023. Filed under High School, Sports.
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