By Avonlea Cummings
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
The sky was shrouded in darkness as the lights illuminated the Walpole turf stage for an exciting evening match between the Walpole Porkers and the Westwood field hockey team. It was an ideal setting to witness both teams showcase their skills, determination, and teamwork. The Porkers prevailed over the Wolverines, concluding the night with a 4-1 victory.
As the initial whistle marked the start of the competition, Westwood emerged with vigor and hunger. The Porkers, coming off a busy two-and-a-half-week schedule, had to regain their momentum. As the Wolverines raced around in search of open passing lanes, Westwood's Katherine Krumsiek scored against the Porkers with just ten seconds remaining in the quarter, giving them a 1-0 lead.
In the second quarter, the Porkers found their rhythm, while Westwood quickly established a robust defense to maintain their advantage. Amidst the commotion in Walpole's offensive end, a whistle pierced the air, and a referee's hand signaled a stroke opportunity for the Porkers. Senior captain Kerin Birch stepped up to the stroke line, facing Westwood's goalkeeper, and successfully found the back of the net, igniting the Porkers' momentum. Just thirty seconds later, Caitlyn Naughton extended the lead to 2-1.
As the third quarter began, Walpole regained their full stride, showcasing impressive passing and dodging skills. Birch, making her presence felt, found herself face-to-face with Westwood's goalkeeper once again, scoring another goal to secure a 3-1 lead with 5:27 left in the quarter. Building on the electric atmosphere and their teammates' energy, Izzy Adams added the final point of the evening, less than a minute after Birch's second goal. The fourth quarter remained scoreless on both sides, despite Westwood's numerous chances and bursts of energy, as the Wolverines fell just short of the Porkers.
Head coach Jen Quinn expressed pride in the girls' comeback after the first quarter and their ability to adapt and overcome challenges.
“I think we started slow, we weren’t ready to go, and it took them a bit to get going. Their goalie was excellent, and the defense was tightly packed in there it took us a while to adjust to that. We kept trying and trying until we got that stroke which opened things up for us a bit, to relax and then really do our thing, the stroke was definitely a momentum changer. I’m most proud of the team coming back as a whole, they completely changed their mindset, they changed their intensity, and their skill, and they really turned it on. I think Izzy Adams had a phenomenal game, and she was a huge reason for that turning point in the game,” said Quinn.
Walpole will travel to face Natick Monday, October 23rd at 6:30 PM.
