A slow start effectively put an end to the Mamaroneck field hockey season on Nov. 13, as an early goal helped push Shenendehowa past the Tigers 1-0 in the New York State Class A semifinals. But despite a disappointing end to the season for a team with aspirations of a state title, Mamaroneck head coach John Savage said the 2021 campaign was nothing if not a rousing success for the Section I champs.
The Plainsmen came out of the gates hot on Saturday, forcing the action early on of the first half, generating several corner chances in the opening minutes and converting on one in what would turn out to be the game’s only tally.
According to Mamaroneck head coach John Savage, the Tigers were well-prepared for the Plainsmen’s corner strategies, but weren’t able to coverShenendehowa’s Lauren Shanahan on a play that led to the game-winning shot just 4:48 into regulation.
“We knew exactly what to expect from them, we broke down their top players and their corners both offensively and defensively,” said Savage. “But it was a nice give-and-go, and [Shanahan] found a lane past Jane [McNally] and that was the mistake that hurt us.”
Although Savage admits that his team was outplayed by the Plainsmen in the first 20 minutes of the game, he believes that his team responded nicely after a tornado warning prompted a delay that lasted for nearly two hours. From that point on, he said, the Tigers played evenly with Shenendehowa, nearly tying the game on a blast by Ava Gristina with just 29 seconds left to play.
“Ava did a reverse tomahawk and hit the ball so hard right off the goalie’s helmet,” he said. “Six inches one way or the other, the game is tied, and then who knows what happens.”
Overall, Savage said he was pleased with the way his team responded to the early deficit, and with the commitment and mental toughness they have shown all year. Mamaroneck finished with a record of 17-3-1 with just one loss coming to a Section I opponent.
“After the game, I just told them how proud [I was] of the way they played, they never gave up,” said Savage. “This just wasn’t our day, where a bounce here, a bounce there, didn’t go our way, but this season definitely met my expectations.”
Although the Tigers will graduate a crop of talented seniors this spring, Savage remains optimistic that the future of the program remains bright. Citing contributions from younger players—including Catherine D’Arcy, who was brought up from Junior Varsity to play a big role during the Tigers’ postseason surge—the longtime head coach said that rebuilds are simply part of the cycle for a Tigers’ program that has appeared in 18 of the last 19 Section I championship games.
“Every year it seems like we lose great players, but it doesn’t phase these kids, they come back and they continue to win,” Savage said. “We will be young, and there might be an adjustment early on with so many good teams coming back but it’s always an interesting process to find out about yourself and your kids.”
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