Playing at a new field wasn’t the only change that the Dedham High field hockey team endured in their first game of the season against Needham on Tuesday. With a new, game-changing rule and only five returning starters from last year, coach Leigh Shea had to make several alterations on the field.
The Marauders remained unfazed, beating the Rockets 1-0 on a goal by Kerianne Downing with 4:12 remaining in a very competitive game at Noble and Greenough, Dedham’s home venue this fall with Stone Park unavailable due to the impending Avery School project.
The newest twist this season, for all teams, is the self-start rule, which states that instead of being confined to drive the ball in from the sideline following an out-of-bounds call, the player can simply carry the ball out into the field, increasing their options and picking up the speed of the game.
“This is definitely a positive change for the game of field hockey,” said Shea. “Even though it does put some more pressure on the defense, it speeds up the flow of the game.”
For the beginning portion of the game, it seemed as if the playing field was even. Both Needham and Dedham had equal touches on the ball and an equal amount of opportunities. About ten minutes into the game, however, senior captain Meaghan Dwan and junior midfielder Emily Mosca both penetrated the Needham defense with shots on net. From that point on, Dedham managed to grab the reins.
“At this point in the game it was pretty clear that we were dominating,” said Dwan. “We had a little trouble starting off, but once we got into the swing of things we starting getting a lot of shots.”
On the defensive end, senior captains Taylor Donovan and Simone Carpenter, along with sophomore Tara Celata, minimized all scoring opportunities and managed few defensive corners in the process. For every corner that the defense caused, they frequently redeemed themselves by clearing the ball out during the corners and making sure the ball did not bleed into the circle.
“The team was a little scattered in the first half, but we did great getting back on defense in the second half,” said Shea.
Celata, who previously played midfield, and Carpenter, a first-year starter, both handled the transition well. The pair played with the same aggressive style as Donovan, a three-year starter, who steered the defensive ship successfully throughout the game.
Junior Paige Keefe took Celata’s former position in the midfield, also dealt well with the new modification and showcasing her skills in getting the ball up the field quickly.
“Because we lost two solid defenders from last year, the backfield as a whole is a little less experienced than before,” said Shea. “Overall team defense is definitely something I will aim to focus on improving throughout the season.”
Kayleigh Bramhall, also a new addition to the team, played goaltender for the Marauders. The junior only faced seven shots but handled all of them well, earning the shutout in her first career varsity game. Her aggressive approach to the position diminished several opportunities for Needham.
In the second half, Dedham carried over the same intensity it had in the first. The Marauders earned an immediate corner but their efforts were thwarted by Needham defenders Emma Albert-Stone and Ariel Sherry, who continuously prevented scoring opportunities on Dedham’s offensive corners.
With only one returning forward, experience is scarce on the offensive end of the field for Dedham. Senior Katelyn Abber, along with sophomore Downing, showcased their speed and skills at the wing positions while sophomore Jackie Sullivan and junior Laura Tavalone put immense pressure on Needham’s defense in the circle. Unable to capitalize on the rebounds, however, Dedham missed out on a handful of scoring opportunities throughout the game.
“Although our forwards are all young, they have definitely improved since last year,” said Shea. “(Dwan) and (Donovan) have also enabled us to improve simply by being comfortable at their positions and using their experience to help lead the team.”
Another obstacle for the Marauder offense was Needham goalie Harriet Susman, who made 13 saves. While Dedham earned 10 offensive corners, its only goal came with 4:12 left in the game. After getting denied by Susman, Dwan carried the ball back into the circle and passed it to Downing, who stood unmarked against a clustered Needham defense. With Susman unable to get back to the post in time, Downing converted the winning goal.
For the remaining minutes of the game, Dedham played strong defense. Needham’s two biggest scoring opportunities came with less than a minute in the game when they actually managed to get it behind Bramhall, only to be denied by Mosca backing her goalie up in the corner.
Not only did the Marauders get to leave the field with a win in their pocket, they also got a feel for their strengths and weaknesses in the game. While capitalizing on rebounds proved to be one downfall, the midfield presented itself as a major strength. Their smooth transitions from defense to offense were commendable along with the aggressive edge that broke up Needham’s flow quite a few times.
“I was definitely pleased with the outcome of the game,” said Shea. “We were able to see certain aspects that you don’t just see in practice. We worked together; our passing was awesome our team chemistry was even better.”
