ME Hornet goalie Paige Garlitz makes a kick save against the North Reading Hornets. ME dominated 6-0 and sit at the top of the Baker Division at 10-1-2.
Photo: Paul Clark
During a season in which it seems they’ve done nothing but pick up victory after victory, it was a rare loss against Newburyport on September 19 that gave the Manchester Essex field hockey team the opportunity to reflect and grow.
“This team is not used to losing -- and we’ve worked for that,” explains Manchester Essex field hockey coach Courtney Brown. “We had to really take a look at ourselves and get it together after that loss. It starts with being focused and mentally preparing for a game far before even walking on the field. That focus and visualizing being successful has been a part of our pregame rituals ever since. The girls also rely on their stick sisters to keep them checked in.”
This particular group of “stick sisters” rebounded with a 4-0 win over Rockport two days later, and haven’t looked back since. The Hornets were 10-1-2 overall (10-1 in the Cape Ann League’s Baker Division) at the start of the week, leaving second-placed Ipswich (6-4) far behind in the Baker already. Manchester Essex holds the top record overall in the CAL and is ranked second in the state for Division 4 power rankings. If they keep this up, they should be highly ranked once the MIAA tournament begins in a few weeks, and this group boasts the depth, confidence, and skill to win out the regular season to do so.
“Simply put, we need to win our next five games to maintain this standing,” says Brown.
To do that, the Hornets need to continue relying on a formula that includes a voracious defense, a deep roster and a group of players who have been there, done that in the past.
“I truly think we’ve been this successful because every member of our team is on the same page, sharing the same goal of winning the CAL and going on to the state tournament,” says Brown. “We have a large roster this year, and every person understands their role in the greater scope of our season. There’s a caliber of play that these girls expect for themselves, so it’s been fun for that intensity to propel us into some high scoring, successful games.”
All of that starts with a defense that just doesn’t quit.
“I credit a lot of our success to our press and our strength defensively,” explains Brown. “Because we’re able to obtain possession of the ball more than our opponents, we have tons of offensive opportunities. This starts at our forward line, all the way to mids and defenders being able to push forward. There have been games where our goalies, Paige [Garlitz] and Brigid [Carovillano], literally only get 2-3 shots.”
Brown states that this group is so deep that she could list most of the roster when asked about standout players. Of particular note out of this group are Ava Magnusun and Caelie Patrick, of whom the coach says, “They tend to be able to find that extra 10 percent that many opponents struggle to play against.”
Other key contributors include a pair of midfielders.
“Ella Chafe and Summer Demeo have been solid, fiesty midfielders—they’re just workhorses for this team,” explains Brown. “Their level of fitness and drive is unbelievable.”
The Hornets will close out the regular season with games against Hamilton-Wenham (October 18), Lynnfield (October 20), Georgetown (October 24), Ipswich (October 26) and a non-league matchup with Masconomet on October 28. It will be the second time this season that Manchester Essex will have seen the Generals, Royals and Tigers – all of which were Hornet victories. That doesn’t mean Brown’s squad will take them lightly the second time around, however.
“Those were early in the season,” the coach says of the wins. “We are all different teams, so I anticipate these games being more of a challenge for us. The confidence of knowing we can beat them, however, definitely helps.”
