Field Hockey falls to Oak Knoll in first loss of season
October 2, 2018
The Field Hockey team traveled to Oak Knoll School to compete in their annual rivalry game on Sept. 24. As it is always a tight competition, Oak Knoll outplayed West Essex this year with a score of 4-0.
The team extensively prepared for the game and had many extended practices. It is their goal every year to beat Oak Knoll. West Essex came out with a lot of energy and had the first five shots but was unable to score. This later caught up to them when there were 10 minutes left in the game and Oak Knoll was winning 2-0. All within the last five minutes, Oak Knoll tipped one goal in and then scored on a stroke with only one minute left.
“I was really upset with the loss,” senior Ali Gann said. “It makes me even more upset that we’re seniors and it’s my last year.”
Players who have been on the team for many years and have valuable experience were especially eager to beat Oak Knoll. For some players, losing to Oak Knoll is all they can recall.
“For as long as I can remember we have been losing to Oak Knoll,” senior Alexis Lombardo said. “It’s just an ongoing competition.”
“I was really expecting to win this year,” junior Emily Holleuffer said. “We prepared so much for this game.”
Many players cannot remember when the intense rivalry started. The two teams have always had a feud. The West Essex Field Hockey team’s competitive nature leaves them craving a win more and more every year. Their annual loss does not leave them defeated; players say it only gives them more motivation for the next year.
“We have mistakes on the field that we have worked through and watched film to see especially what we need to improve,” senior Ellie Decker said. “It was a wake-up call for us to step it up and play to our greatest potential.”
West Essex had won every game this season except for the Oak Knoll game. Freshmen said they were excited to be a part of this competitive atmosphere.
“Although it was a tough loss, it was exciting to be a part of such a big rivalry game,” freshman Halle Aschenbach said. “I was extremely nervous because I was a freshman but now I can’t wait to play them again.”
