The Chapel Hill field hockey team capped off another successful season after falling to Myers Park High School on Thursday, November 8 in the state semifinals.
The Tigers finished the season at 13–5 overall.
Going into playoffs with a 12–4 record, Chapel Hill was looking to build off of its success from last year. “We know that, since we got to [semifinals last year], we could get there again because we were a stronger team this year,” senior captain Christina Valentin said.
Although they team did not accomplish its ultimate goal, senior captain Hannah Chisholm is proud of her teammates. “I think we had a great season, great team chemistry, and, overall, a winning season,” Chisholm said.
The team’s winning season wasn’t assured, though. The Tigers had difficulty finding a good place to practice. “One of the biggest challenges we faced this season is bad field conditions. Due to the construction at the school, we had to have preseason at the McDougle football field, which is less playable than our practice field at school,” Chisholm said.
Chapel Hill also lost five senior starters from the previous year. “We had a lot of positions to fill this year, but, in my opinion, we had better team chemistry and were more balanced than last year,” Valentin said.
After a tough loss to Ravenscroft early on, the Tigers gained focus. “A big turning point for us was our first loss, against Ravenscroft, and from there we worked on more defensive drills and had better focus during practice,” Chisholm said.
Part of the Tigers’ success this year was their ability to play together as a team. “My favorite part about playing for the team was definitely the team dynamic. We’re all good friends and got much closer as the season progressed,” junior Hadley Wade said.
The close bond that this team formed helped them win games that have been difficult to win in the past. “I think that one of our greatest accomplishments this year was beating a tough Cardinal Gibbons team twice in the same season,” sophomore Ella Fine said.
