By Riley Fontana
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The Westwood Wolverines hosted the undefeated Walpole Porkers for a heated battle on the field. Penalty corners and control of the ball spurred the Porkers to a 5-0 win over the Wolverines. Both teams played hard, but Walpole was able to pull away with a shutout win.
Walpole came out strong in the first quarter with several scoring attempts and three corner penalties. Westwood players displayed their power and control of the ball, with Senior Kate Sullivan defending as hard as possible. Sophomore Caroline Handwerk opened the scoring for Walpole.
Second quarter is where Walpole really took off. Junior Kate Schneider scored with 9:01 left on the clock, while Junior Grace Hagan displayed power on offense. The Porkers were able to keep possession of the ball for a majority of the game thanks to Sophomore Ella Dacey who stole possession countless times. The quarter ended with a corner penalty that led to Schneider’s second goal of the game.
Westwood goalie Sophomore Alanna Roper had a very good game, blocking countless scoring attempts and using her whole body to defend the goal. Caroline Handwerk scored her second goal of the match for Walpole and Westwood swapped Roper for Sophomore Moira Kenneally. Wolverines Sophomore Kahlin Dempsy acted as a strong defensive force, sending the Porkers back into their own zone.
The fourth quarter gave Westwood more scoring attempts with Walpole taking several penalties. Westwood Senior Emilie DeMaio worked hard to defensively block passes and scoring attempts. Westwood was able to keep Walpole from scoring in the last 15 minutes, but could not turn their own goals.
The Wolverines fought back as hard as they could but ultimately fell to the Porkers. Both teams are looking at the horizon of the 2024-25 season and are fighting for playoff positions. Upcoming games will decide the fate of their seasons.
