Photos by Meghan Foley
Sophia Wichman (blue) takes on Holliston player (white)
By Meghan Foley
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
On October 6th, Dover-Sherborn’s field hockey team met the Holliston Panthers at home. The Raiders were favored, with a 10–1 record to Holliston’s 5–5–3, and having beaten the Panthers in their previous two matchups.
True to this, the Raiders did present as the stronger team in the first quarter, keeping the ball mainly in Holliston’s end. About midway through the first quarter, the game’s first goal was scored by midfielder Sophia Wichman, who was in the right place at the right time to rebound an attempt by forward Reese Bent in front of the net. Three and a half minutes later, Dover-Sherborn scored another goal: freshman Tatum Crotty assisted by captain Avery Hadfield. There was a near third goal for the Raiders in the final minute of the quarter, but Holliston’s Bridget Malvey swept the ball out from going in the net.
Shortly into the second quarter, Reese Bent scored with an assist from Sophia Wichman. Later on in the quarter, Holliston was able to keep the play in Dover-Sherborn’s half for a little bit, and with a great run, sophomore Olivia Ledoux earned the Panther’s first goal.
Not long after returning to the field from half time, the Panthers were cheering again after goalie Julia Galipeau saved a penalty shot taken by Avery Hadfield, who was also cheered on by her teammates despite the outcome of the shot.
Following that penalty shot awarded to them, the Raiders picked up a couple of yellow cards and around the halfway mark of quarter four. Senior Isabella Oliveira scored Holliston’s second goal, putting them just one point behind Dover-Sherborn. Just a minute later however, Holliston’s net was swarmed with the Raider’s offense and the Panthers defending them. Though the goalie managed to thwart a first attempt, Bent again scored off of an assist from Wichman. Yet despite the two-goal deficit, things felt oddly possible for Holliston to tie the score in the final ten seconds of the game when they put the Raiders on defense. When a corner was called, they hustled into position and got ready—when suddenly the ref blew the whistle again and signaled that the game had ended. Players on both teams were unsure and hovered around the net. The Holliston coaches said that the team had the right to play out the corner since it had been called prior to the clock running out. The ref told them the official rule was that the corner should not be taken in this case because the play would not change the result of the game, because even if Holliston were to score in the roughly five seconds left in the game, they would still lose by one point. Despite the argument Holliston coaches were submitting and the popular opinion of spectators nearby, the ref upheld his call, and the game ended with a score of 4–2. Holliston fans, players, and coaches accepted the sour ending respectfully.
The Raiders’ next game will be at home tomorrow at 4:00, and their full schedule can be found at: www.arbiterlive.com.
