Varsity Field Hockey launched their 2024 season in the Morgan Bowl on Wednesday (9/4), knocking out Fitchburg High School cold in a 3-0 win, beating the team for the third year in a row.
After closing last season with a record of 4-8-6, the girls were thirsty for a win. Senior Captains Janie Brunelle and Sophie Charbonneau, and junior Captain Rylie Nelson, are proud of where their team stands, especially considering the tough opponents they have faced.
“Me and my fellow captains have all worked to our strengths to improve the team,” said Captain Janie Brunelle, who has returned for her fifth and final season on HHS Field Hockey. “With my strength in communication, Sophie taking on tasks and organizing, and Rylie who is very much a leader on the field and someone I can always rely on, I think the season has gone really well so far.”
For a team that practices on grass, the team has spent a portion of their practices working on their turf skills, an important element when it comes to competing against teams that have turf on their home fields, and one of the main challenges the girls are facing this Fall.
“We are also looking to work on and continue to improve our communication,” said Brunelle. “That is something we are really implementing this year. As a defensive player, I can say that it definitely makes our defense work more cohesively.”
The team lost a total of six seniors last season, leaving a large gap in their lineup. To take the place of the graduates, many players have had to step up or switch positions entirely.
“I think we all had some worries after our seniors graduated and about the new roles we would have to take on,” said Brunelle, “but everyone has exceeded expectations.”
According to the Brunelle, whether the girls are in the middle of the third quarter or in the cafeteria at school, their team remains a family. So for such a small and close knit team, stepping up was no challenge for this year’s captains.
“Even through the tough games, the fact that we’re all friends is what makes leading fun and easy,” said Brunelle. “I love being captain of this team.”
Though becoming an authoritative figure to your friends originally sounded daunting to Brunelle, her relationship with her teammates has only gotten stronger throughout her captaincy so far.
Captain Sophie Charbonneau, who is also returning for her fifth consecutive year, agreed with her fellow captain, claiming that the connection she has with her teammates isn’t one she ever wants to lose, even after her time at Hudson High ends.
“All the girls are super nice,” Charbonneau stated. “Everyone’s super welcoming to the new players, which is awesome.”
Both Captains Brunelle and Charbonneau said that it’s their graduated teammates that inspire them most when it comes to leading a team.
“I feel Field Hockey is some of the best memories I have from high school,” said Brunelle. “I want the other girls to have the same experience I had, to have a great time and be able to look back on it positively.”
Specifically the Class of 2022’s Allie Davis and Riley Nanartowich’s ability to stay focused but also stay positive, have been the blueprint for Brunelle when it comes to quality leadership.
“They always had fun at practice,” Brunelle recalled. “They never let anything get them down and that’s always what I try to do as a captain. Even though I do want to take the game seriously, I know that the best part of this team is how much fun we have and how much we all support each other.”
These positive mindsets of seniors before her, have become Brunelle’s main focus as captain.
“I try not to let things weigh down on the team,” she stated. “I try to encourage everyone to have a good time because that’s what we’re all here to do: Have a great time playing something we love.”
Brunelle and Charbonneau agreed that the supportive dynamic of the team is what makes the season so enjoyable.
“We might have a hard practice or game, but in the end we are doing everything together,” said Charbonneau.
Brunelle tapped in on this matter as well, noting that their dynamic has influenced the team and helped strengthen skills both on and off the field.
“Field Hockey is an important sport even though we’re a small team and we often get overlooked,” said Brunelle. “But our bond and the great coaches my teammates and I have are amazing. It’s definitely something special.”
And as both Brunelle and Charbonneau have played Field Hockey since throughout their entire high school careers, saying goodbye to their teammates will be another definite challenge of their season.
“I just wanna live it up as best I can,” stated Charbonneau. “I’m sad that this sport I’ve been doing for five years now is going to be gone.”
But while this final year has been bittersweet, it has also been motivating for the senior captains.
“I will be really sad to leave this team and my coaches,” Brunelle sympathized, “but I will be happy if the team I love gets to keep being successful, even after I graduate.”
For their first year as captains and their last year on the team, the 2024 season is all about impact, and they’re not afraid of leaving their teammates behind. The girls don’t only want to create a positive environment, but create a positive environment that lives on past their time at HHS.
“I hope to be able to pass on my leadership knowledge to the girls who will be seniors and juniors next season,” said Brunelle. “If me and my fellow seniors continue to help the younger players find their love for the sport and encourage good team relationships, Field Hockey will be a great team for years to come.”
“I hope my teammates can still talk to me about anything now and after graduation,” said Charbonneau.
The girls take on Littleton next. See if the team will achieve another win for yourself, right in the Morgan Bowl tommorow (9/11)
“I want to encourage the younger girls to stick with their team,” Brunelle said. “I think it’s an important sport. I want the girls on the team to not only be proud of playing it but also want to keep playing it, even when I leave.”
The gallery below captures the Varsity Field Hockey team and their defeat against Fitchburg.
