NORTHBOROUGH – The Algonquin field hockey team notched the first Titan win on the new turf multipurpose field on Oct. 11 against Shrewsbury.
The Titans beat the Colonials 4-1, improving Algonquin’s record to 10-2-1, according to ArbiterSports.
This is the second time that Algonquin has beaten Shrewsbury so far this season. The teams faced off on Sept. 20 on Shrewsbury’s home turf. Algonquin emerged on the winning end of a 2-1 final score.
“We know they’ve been playing stronger by looking at their results the last week or so,” ARHS Coach Dan Welty said.
He continued, “We’ve kept getting better, and that’s a key thing. You always want to show the team a second time around that you’ve improved.”
ARHS Captain Annie Harwich said she and the other captains were proud of how their teammates played this season.
“I think we’ve all come a long way, and to see the growth in everyone is just really awesome. We’re so proud of our teammates and how far they’ve come,” she said.
Welty, she said, has established the importance of growing and pushing themselves.
According to Captain Sylvia Zelnick, the team’s word for the year is “opportunity.”
“I think everyone, especially the underclassmen, are taking the opportunity to just use what we’ve learned all season with a new coach especially. We’ve all come together, and I think we’re all really determined. We’ve grown so much,” said Zelnick.
“It was awesome to have the first win on the new field,” said Captain Lindsey Brown.
This game was the first time in eight years that the field hockey team has been able to play a “home” game at Algonquin Regional High School.
“We haven’t been home since fall of ’15,” Welty said.
Welty said that in fall of 2015, the varsity team played on the outfield of the baseball field. He said there was a turf committee lobbying for turf fields at the high school, but come June 2016, it was clear that the turf fields weren’t going to happen at that point.
“I said, ‘Hey, we’ve got to go on the turf.’ Field hockey is so affected by the turf and the speed of the game,” Welty said.
The team went to 911 Memorial Field in Southborough for a couple of years. The then team went to New England Baseball Complex in Northborough. As of their recent Oct. 5 game against Leominster, the team’s home games were still being held at New England Baseball Complex.
“To be here and see the stands full and other teams – volleyball and soccer were out here – that didn’t happen for eight years. They couldn’t just walk out and support the field hockey program,” Welty said. “It’s great to see those teams out here today. It was great for me and the girls yesterday at the first practice just to walk out of the school and walk on this fantastic brand new turf field.”
