It’s not very often that the Dedham High field hockey team gets off to a 1-6 start to the season, but given the rigors of the Bay State Conference, the loss of nine starters from a year ago and learning a new system it should not have come as a complete shock either.
The signs of improvement since that rocky opening third have been apparent as the Marauders have gone 3-3-1 since, with the losses coming to perennial Herget Division powers Walpole and Wellesley and defending Division 2 state champion Hopkinton.
One of the most telltale signs of the team’s improvement came on Columbus Day in a scoreless draw against Canton, which secured the Marauders a spot in the MIAA Division 2 South sectional tournament by the Sullivan Rule. Dedham controlled play for much of the contest, piling up a 9-2 edge in penalty corners, and limiting the potent Bulldog attack that had scored 29 goals from its first 10 games.
The Marauders attack has also been improved, since the opening game in which the lone win was against overmatached Malden in a non-league game, but in the first six BSC losses Dedham had just seven goals. Since that point they have scored 17.
“In the beginning of the season we only had three forwards, after a few games we switched to four forwards and that definitely helps generate a lot more offense,” said senior captain Kelly Celata.
Three days later the offense improved on their finishing and handed rival Norwood a 3-0 defeat, earning a measure of revenge from earlier in the season when the Mustangs won 2-1 in Norwood.
Becky Cormack scored less than three minutes into the contest and Kelly Celata added a second with just 40 seconds to go before halftime. Laura Tavalone finished off the scoring being in the right place at the right time to redirect a drive off the stick of Kayleigh Brambell 10:09 into the second half.
Sarah Mosca had back-to-back shutouts for the first time for the season with the Canton and Norwood contests. Against the Mustangs, Taylor Donners had a breakaway from midfield and just as she was getting ready to shoot the ball took a bad hop off the ground and forcing her to shot wide of the right post. Mosca’s best save on the cold afternoon also came off the stick of Donners, who was set up off a penalty corner, and lifted a shot slightly above waist high and Mosca batted it down to the ground.
“That was the best point of the season so far, I think,” said Celata. “I think that one got everyone together and realized we can do well in tournament.”
Despite a 4-0 setback on Monday to the defending Division 2 state champions from Hopkinton (bumped to Div. 1 in the new divisional realignment), the Marauders are confident about their play of late.
“I think they’ve always had the potential, I think now they’re having some confidence, and maybe they are getting comfortable with me and the new system, and they’re starting to get comfortable with themselves,” said Dedham coach Leigh Shea. “We lost 11 seniors and nine of them were starters last year so there’s a lot of inexperience, maybe not younger, but they haven’t had the most experience so now they are starting to really jell and get comfortable out there.”
For the teams remaining in Division 2 South the second-half Marauders figure to be a difficult draw in the postseason considering the strength of their schedule having cut their teeth against powers like Walpole, Wellesley, Hopkinton and Canton. They are hoping to make the most of the postseason lifeline that the Sullivan Rule has given them.
(Keith Pearson is Staff Writer for the Dedham Transcript. He can be reached at (781) 433-8371 or kpearson@cnc.com.)
