Walking onto the field on Wednesday, my teammates and I were immediately met with colorful decorations and homemade posters. It was Senior Day for the Montclair Varsity field hockey team, and the underclassmen and booster club had gone all out to make us feel special. The energy amongst the seniors was electric; we were so excited to take photos with our families, but even more elated to all play together.
The ceremonies went by quickly, and we all loved having our families there to watch us. I don’t know if I was more shocked or excited that my brother had actually made an appearance! Nonetheless, the real magic started with the first whistle.
Beginning in the first quarter, we knew that the game was special. All of the seniors were starting, including one who hadn’t been able to play in a month due to injury. Despite not always playing together, we were seamless on the field.
Each pass was with intention, and the play between the 25s and in the circle was completely selfless. While we scored 7 goals in the match, the most outstanding part was definitely the assists. The senior class was responsible for four of the goals and five of the assists. The forwards all worked hard to give the extra pass around the goal, setting one another up for easy tap-ins on the net. Each goal was not only a testament to our hard work on the field that day, but also the commitment and dedication of the seniors throughout their high school careers.
Now, as we look ahead to states, the senior class and I cannot wait to push each other and the rest of the team to extend our season as long as possible. We believe in ourselves and know that no matter what happens, we are proud of the impact we’ve made in the Montclair field hockey program.
