All season long, Section 1 field hockey teams have been searching for a sign that Mamaroneck wasn’t quite as dominant as their record indicated.
It looks like they’ll have to wait until next year.
On Saturday, the Tigers capped off their perfect run through Section 1, topping Ketcham 6-0 in the Class A title game to continue their defense of the 2023 state title.
Though the Tigers had plenty of chances early on, some nifty goaltending from Ketcham’s Gwenyth Browne kept the Tigers off the board until Ali Maresca buried a rebound off a corner chance, effectively opening up the flood gates for the Tigers, who would rattle off five more goals in an impressive performance.
“We were getting chances, but their goalie did a great job,” said Mamaroneck head coach Tricia Miller. “In this sport, if you go up against a goalie that’s playing really well, one wrong bounce can be all that it takes to change things, but our girls did a really nice job adjusting and moving her around.”
In addition to Maresca’s initial salvo, Gabby Sosa, Lexi Suman, Lucy Kaplan, Catherine D’Arcy and Lily Brickman all tallied scores as well, helping the Tigers continue their splendid defense of the 2023 state title. Over the course of the season so far, the Tigers have outscored opponents by a mark of 111-05, something Miller chalks up to the team’s selflessness and chemistry.
“I think this team is very humble, there are no egos on this team and they’re all really happy for each other,” said Miller. “They all understand that this can be taken away at any time and they really have been staying focused and not getting ahead of themselves.”
At 19-0 on the year, the Tigers’ bid for another state crown will continue on Saturday, Nov. 9 when they take on the Section 9 champion at Arlington High School at 2 p.m.
And while all eyes may be on the Tigers as they make another run at a state championship, Miller reminded her players to enjoy the moment given the fickle nature of competitive sports.
“We understand that this can be taken away at any time,” said Miller. “So we take it one game at a time and they really have been staying focused.”
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