With a new sense of confidence and fierce energy this season, the Oyster River girl’s field hockey team (12-1-0) has set themselves up for success in beating John Stark (11-2-0) on Thursday October 10th, 2024.
John Stark won the Division 2 State Championship in both 2023 and 2022, making them a top competitor in the division. Last year, despite having a successful season, Oyster River didn’t do as well in the playoffs, which left them with fiery motivation to win this season.
Sadie McLeod (‘26), who is playing her 3rd year on varsity, says, “We had a lesser season than we hoped [last year], and I think we’re coming back for blood this season. We want this, we need this, and this is us.” She continues, saying, “I feel like last season we were kind of timid and shy and I feel like we weren’t as hungry as we are this year.”
Eliza Farwell (‘26), touches on the importance of having a balanced team, attributing some of their success to the skills of each individual player. “Everyone carries their weight, and everyone does their part, which is so important…For a few teams, they just rely on a couple star players but that’s just not how we play.”
Head Coach Anne Golding, who’s coached at Oyster River for 7 seasons, also stresses how important it is to not only have individual skills, but also play well together on the field. She says, “I don’t necessarily need the kid that has the strongest stick skills or is the fastest runner; I need a package… someone who can work with the team as a whole.” And each player on the team does just that.
It hasn’t been difficult for this team to bond, as the team is made up primarily of returning upperclassmen players, apart from Grace Harvey (‘28) has fit right in. One of three senior captains, Rose Goldsmith says that of those of them who are returning, “This year we’ve gotten closer, and I think our bond makes it a lot easier while playing.”
On the skill side of things, the development the team has seen is in part due to the work that they do during pre-season., Golding says, “We work really hard during preseason. We pack pre-season with a lot of scrimmage opportunities and a lot of play day opportunities… We’re starting on day one and we already have a handful of games under our belt.”
Not only do they improve during pre-season, but also during the offseason by playing on the club teams. Many Oyster River players play on Summit Field Hockey club, and most of the John Stark team plays for them as well.
This means that some of the players from Oyster River and John Stark know each other well. McLeod, one of the girls on the club team, says that their bond only adds to the rivalry between Oyster River and John Stark. She says, “Of course we want to beat our friends.”
However, the playful rivalry is unlikely to cause the team to falter their concentration because Golding says that the Oyster River team is uneasily distracted. “They all show up ready to go with a good, upbeat positive energy, they’re competitive and they’re cordial to their opponents, but the second that clock starts they are completely dialed in and ready to go.”
Coach Golding has a phrase she uses to motivate the players in the first few minutes of the game which is “90 seconds”. She expects them to get out into the offensive side of the field and get a goal in the net in the first 90 seconds of the game to start off strong. This year’s team has leaned into the words and used them as a kind of chant before games. Golding says that because of this, she expects them to score early.
The team’s ability to lock in, no matter the circumstances, is confirmed by Goldsmith. She says, “Once you’re there, you’ve got to play your game, and it doesn’t really matter what team you play.”
Harley Kachadorian, one of the goalies, agrees and says that the team’s mindset has shifted since last year. She says, “I think this year, with [our strong] mindset, we really have a chance of beating John Stark”
Between their skills, connection and motivation, this team is confident in their shot to beat John Stark. McLeod says, “This year is different, so everybody on the D2 roster better watch out for Oyster River.” The game is set to begin at 4:00 on October 10th at John Stark Regional High School.
-Sadie Goldberg
Images courtesy of Keenum Sports
Mouth of the River 
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