While many may focus on the success of football or soccer at the start of school, one team that should not be put under the radar is the Field Hockey team.  

Field hockey is a sport reliant on teamwork and the unified motion of eleven players on the field at once.  This sport, though not as popular as its counterpart, ice hockey, is an extremely competitive sport, and girls only have two 30 minute halves to score as many goals as possible, using only a stick and their athleticism.  This sport that dates all the way back to the Middle Ages is one that brings pure joy to its players while, at the same time, still supplying a competitive atmosphere.

Recently , the team moved into Nassau I Division after being in the Nassau II last season.  This is a huge step for the team, resulting from their performance against higher-ranked teams last season.  Those important wins allowed the team to experience this well-deserved increase in ranking and competition.  While still very exciting, the team has a lot of work ahead of them.  This includes facing the county’s top teams such as the previous county champions, Carle Place and Garden City. 

Behind the team’s tremendous success is an extremely large pool of talent.  Junior Tobey Tick is returning to the team as last year’s leading scorer and has quickly regained that title this season.  In only the first 3 games of the season, Tick has 3 goals under her belt, putting her fairly high up on the county’s leading point scorers.  The team also boasts three sets of sisters, with two of those of the sets being twins. Senior Morgan Gearty dominates the right while her twin, Michaela, takes her stand on the left. Also leading the team are twins Jolie and Dalia Bercow.  The sisters are four year starters, beginning their journey on the varsity squad freshman year. 

When approached about the team dynamic Jolie Bercow had a lot to say about her team’s relationship.

“We appreciate each others strengths and compensate for our weaknesses.  It’s at a point where I can know where a teammate is without even looking up.” said Bercow. “We’ve been moved up a conference and honestly, we were beyond nervous for the competition.  But, we showed up and proved that we are not an easy team to beat.  It’s all upwards from here on out!”

While the team does have a few veteran players, the team is a fairly young.  There has been an addition of four freshmen who are full of potential and many sophomores.  One sophomore who is experiencing her first year on the varsity squad is Allison Maley.  One thing that stands out to her is the group dynamic and support of the girls.

“I really love the team.  It’s been so fun to be apart of it and everyone is so nice … we all joke around but when it’s time to get serious we get focused and still have so much fun.  I will 100% continue next year because I love the team and the sport itself.” said Maley.

One misconception about the sport itself is the athleticism and drive it takes to achieve success.  These girls put in hours of practice to compete against the best of the best.  

“Field hockey is one of the most popular sports worldwide and is super underrated! The intensity is super high and the game is fast pace.” said Jolie Bercow. 

The team is currently 1-2, having defeated Baldwin on September 20th in an intense game ending with a final score of 3-2.  

Senior Dalia Bercow also had a lot to say about the team’s success since her start. 

“Since my freshman year we’ve gone up at least one league each year which I think is pretty impressive, and we hope to stay where we are now if not go up to the highest league … we spend so much time in practice working on skills and doing the simple things [and] I think my coach has built a strong team that will continue to succeed next year and hopefully for years to come.” said Bercow.

The girls have extended their winning streak yet again, defeating New Hyde Park in a 5-0 shutout the afternoon of September 24th. The team showed off their prowess at passing and interpersonal cohesion as they scored goal after goal, including an impressive one by defender Megan DiLeo.

As proven by the team, it takes a lot of heart to succeed.  No matter the age or experience of the players, the Field Hockey team has always impressed, on and off of the field. Through hard work and determination, the team has been able to climb a division every single year for the past four years, competing and dominating against major opponents.  Whether the player is a senior or freshman, you will find every member of the team putting forth their best effort to accomplish their goal of of bringing home the county championship, a title that is definitely well-deserved.