Canton High field hockey team off to promising start

Through one week of game action, the 2017 CHS field hockey team remains a work in progress, but the early returns have been promising, according to head coach Chrissy O’Connor.

“We played a couple of strong scrimmages in the preseason and we’ve looked pretty good so far,” said O’Connor, who is now in her second stint with the team. “We’ve been moving kids around a lot to see what works well. We’re still not there yet as far as seeing the whole field, but they continue to improve and I am excited about the season.”

Going into today, the lady Bulldogs stood at 2-1 overall, with a pair of victories over Attleboro and Mansfield followed by a close loss to King Philip Regional. The team looked sharp offensively in the two wins, combining for 12 goals behind big games from senior captain Andrea McNeil (2g, 2a versus Attleboro) and junior Maggie Malloy (3 g versus Mansfield).

The KP contest was much more of a defensive battle, and Canton held its own for the majority of the game despite surrendering two late scores. New goalie Riley Brown was particularly impressive against the high-powered Warriors attack, finishing with 25 saves in a breakout performance. Seniors Colleen Kelleher and Emily Campbell also provided strong support in the back and are two of the team’s captains this year along with McNeil and Maggie Wade.

“King Philip has a lot of returning starters and a few excellent D1 players, and [Monday’s game] was a very good test for our girls,” said O’Connor. “We had a difficult time generating offense in that game, but our defense had a great game and I was very happy with our effort.”

O’Connor said the coaching staff is focused on developing the skills of every player on the roster, and she likes the fact that the talent seems to be evenly distributed. She is also encouraged by the play and potential of some of the younger players, including freshmen Maria Femia and Meghan LaBelle as well as freshman backup goalie Riley O’Connor.

With their first loss now behind them, the team will look to get back on a winning track beginning this afternoon at home against North Attleboro. The girls will then remain at home for their next two games, with Milford coming to town on September 19 and nonleague Seekonk paying a visit on September 25.

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=37127

Posted by Jay Turner on Sep 15 2017. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.