In an away non-league game against Cathedral Catholic High School, the varsity field hockey team (3-2) fell to the Dons 1-4 on Wednesday. 

In the first quarter, the Falcons began the match on a defensive front, as CCHS obtained possession of the ball and looked for a way to score on the goal. Although captain Sydney Meltzer (12) and Ellie Kuehnert (12) completed successful redirections of the ball, CCHS was relentless in their pursuit of finding an early goal. Following a close call for the Falcons, the team attempted to switch the ball to the other side of the field. 

“The outletting and their ability to connect — they had some really great sequences [that made me proud],” Lindsay Bowman, varsity assistant coach, said.

Midfielder, Sophie Bryson (11), agreed. 

“I thought we were kind of chaotic but I thought we had some good connections on the side,” Byrson said. “We were open a lot.” 

Despite this and the well-executed plays from the defensive line, CCHS received four corners in the span of only a few minutes, with TPHS having an increasingly difficult time pushing the ball out of the circle each time. Eventually, CCHS was able to score their first goal off of a corner. Shortly after, CCHS scored their second goal in the first quarter. 

“It’s disappointing because we lost to [CCHS] last year … we wanted to win,” Bryson said.

Dylan Rietti (10), who plays midfield, acknowledged that while the team made a number of good plays, there were some things she would change in hindsight. 

“We could’ve been a little bit more calm and patient but I think as the game went on, we controlled the ball more and made better passes,” Rietti said. 

To finish off the first quarter, Izzy Adams (9), a defensive player, executed a beautiful lift over the top of two of the CCHS players’ sticks. 

Right off the bat, TPHS put pressure on CCHS in the second quarter, beginning with a corner where Meltzer had a shot on goal. After the shot, however, CCHS retained possession once again and were awarded two more corners. The Falcons then made a run up the right side and attempted another shot on goal. The team faced a small setback when Adams was given a temporary suspension from the game, leaving the Falcons a player down for a few minutes.

In quarter three, CCHS scored for a third time, kicking the game into high gear. Throughout the match, the team did not slow their play or appear downtrodden, a testament to their enduring determination. The Falcons were then awarded a corner, resulting in another shot on goal by Meltzer. Throughout the match, there were a number of fights for possession between the two teams; notably, the Falcons came out on top in one such fight for possession and were able to make a run towards the goal before quarter three finished. 

Rietti pointed out these runs as some of the best team moments in the game.

“We had a few really good connections up the sidelines, some give and gos,” Rietti said.

Quarter four commenced with a fourth goal by CCHS. The team successfully counteracted this goal, however, with one of their own. For Rietti, who scored the goal, and Bryson, this was their highlight of the game. 

Although CCHS put the Falcons under duress following the Falcons’ goal, the team did not let in another goal, defending like the CIF champions they have proved to be in the past. The match rounded out with a corner for the team, another shot on goal by Meltzer, and two corners for CCHS, both of which were repelled by the defense. 

This game was like “deja vu” for Bowman, since the team lost to CCHS last year as well. 

“I’m pretty frustrated,” Bowman said. “But it’s still early in the season. We’re still figuring some things out with our lineup, so I am hopeful.”