Passionate Play Leads to First Win

LUNENBURG – It was a breakaway. Blue Knights junior Bethie Boone and several of her field hockey teammates streaked down the field toward the Bromfield goal in a 0-0 game.

“We had good numbers down the field,” Boone recalled about the play. “We were able to beat the defense down the field.” After a failed shot ricocheted off a defender, Boone found the ball on her stick with only the goalie blocking her path.

She then took the shot but did not make solid contact with the ball. “I felt it could have been a little stronger,” she said as the ball wafted and wiggled in the air like a knuckleball. “I think just the way the goalie was positioned, the shot caught her off guard.” The ball ended up in the back of the Bromfield net for a 1-0 third quarter Lunenburg lead. “It was kind of lucky it went in, but I’m glad it did.”

The goal turned out to be the only score of the game as Lunenburg held on to win their first game of the season. Regardless of this outcome, however, first year coach Hailee Attorri has tempered her expectations for the upcoming season. “I don’t have expectations because I am a new coach but I am excited to work with the players,” she said.
The rookie coach is leaning on her experienced players to help lead the team. “Since I am new, I expect the returning varsity players to make an impact,” she said. Some of the returning players she expects the most impact from are sophomore Emma Kibbe, junior Sierra Bursch, and seniors Autumn Tibbetts, Emma Infantino, and Jessica Handy.

Tibbetts and Infantino, the Blue Knight’s co-captains, both think the team has a lot of potential, but also there is a lot of room for improvement.

“I think we played pretty good today,” Tibbetts said after the game. “It was our first game so I think it was getting the rust off a little bit, I guess you can say. We have a way to go though.”

Some of the rust includes readjusting to playing with 11 players on the field. During the spring, the MIAA modified the number of players on the field for each team due to COVID restrictions to 7-on-7 play for field hockey. This season, the 11-on-11 game format has been reestablished.

“We have to get used to playing on the field again,” Tibbetts said. “We will be better prepared. We didn’t know what to expect because last year was so different from playing with the 7 v. 7 lineup. I think we’re get better.”

“I agree with Autumn,” Infantino said. “We definitely have a lot to improve on.

We’re just getting use to our formation. Other than that, we came out pretty strong.”

Attorri said the team had it’s best success by spreading the opponent’s defense. “Our midfield and our forwards always going wide made us tough to stop,” she said. “When they were going wide it seemed open up … I just think going wide was the thing that made it work … I believe Autumn’s consistency and ability to get to the ball was great for us. I feel like she had the ball most of the time and Bethie also made herself available and got to the ball.”

Boone said this aggressive offensive approach opened up passing lanes, which led to her goal. “I’m really excited for the season. I feel we played really well as a team and passed really well,” she said.

Sophomores Sarah Yu Vivierios and Erin Pepolowski made a strong presence with a lot of intensity for the Blue Knights as they crashed the net and defended well during the game. Going forward, Attorri said she expects them to make a strong impact throughout the season because “they worked hard to make the varsity team.”

If the team continues its passionate play while getting more comfortable playing together on the field, Lunenburg has a chance to accomplish good things this season.

“I am so excited to be working with such a strong team,” Attorri said. “There is a
lot of talent and enthusiasm that I see.”

The game between Lunenburg and Bromfield was even until the third quarter where the Blue Knight ratcheted up the intensity and worked better together. As a result, especially following Boone’s goal, they dominated the rest of the game with the field seemingly tilted in the Knight’s offensive end.

“That’s just us working as a team,” Tibbetts said. “We weren’t happy with how we started. We just came out with better communication and intensity. In the future, we just have to come out the whole game like we did that third quarter with that intensity.”

Infantino added, “when we have good intensity, we know what we’re capable of.”

Lunenburg Field Hockey

At a Glance

Nickname: Blue Knights

Affiliation: Midland Wachusett Division D

Colors: Blue and White

Record: 0-3-1 Fall II (Mid. Wach. C)

Home Field: Lunenburg Middle/High School

McCarron Turf Field

1079 Mass. Ave

Coach: Hailee Attorri (First year)

Assistant: Shelagh Fluharty