By Ryan Deal ‘16

The field hockey team made school history this season, advancing to the state tournament for the first time since 1985, ending a drought that lasted 28 years. The team, which is still fairly young, went 16-2 overall this season, including playoff victories against Blake, Quince Orchard and Paint Branch en route to a 4A West Division Title.

The team outscored opponents 71-10 in the regular season.Of their 16 wins, nine were shutouts and in six of them, the opponent was held to just one goal “We had a lot of perseverance. We prepared well and focused on every game one step at a time by working hard at practice,” said sophomore Zoe Sweeney. The field hockey team’s dominance can be largely attributed to an electric offense, which possessed two of the top five scorers in the county in seniors Emily Kenul (29 goals) and Gabrielle Yore (25 goals) and a stifling defense, led by sophomore Dani Pignone, senior goalkeeper Christina Ricciuiti and senior Mollie Russell.

Along with the physical abilities of the team, the team chemistry and leadership attributed to a deep postseason run. “Our captains [Russell and Yore] along with our other seniors truly cared for each one of their teammates and made sure to be there for them through the ups and downs,” said Coach Amy Morse.

Sherwood began the season on a 13-game win streak and the success carried them all the way to the state tournament. “Reaching states felt amazing and it was so much fun to share it with everyone,” said Ricciuti.

“The most exciting part was knowing and believing that we belonged there,” Morse added.

Winning the state tournament, which is played annually and is composed of four teams, is the ultimate goal for field hockey teams throughout the state. In the tournament semifinals, they faced a tough and experienced Severna Park team. Sherwood played their hearts out, but ultimately lost to the veteran team, 5-0. “They had really good stick skills and knew how to pass. They got a couple of goals quickly and had momentum for the rest of the game. They came out really ready to win,” said Kenul.

Although the loss ended a historic season for the Warriors, the experience and thrill of the season will be remembered by the players and coaches. “If I learned anything from this year, it’s that it is important to keep pushing each other and to keep sticking together even when you’re losing,” said senior Haroula Tzamaras.

“I will walk away from this season feeling an incredible amount of pride in this team. They worked hard for their teammates- not themselves,” said Morse.