By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — There is no substitute for senior leadership.
The Wakefield High field hockey team has 11 seniors helping run the show this season including their two captains, Abby Hodgdon and Erin Leary.
“They have done a great job,” says head coach Cara Luca of her captains. “They have coordinated offseason practices to help with team chemistry and skills and they have been good role models for the younger athletes also.”
Luca is quick to mention the nine other seniors as well: Maddie DeFeo, Victoria Bishop, Nicole Dowd, Maya Neal, Kathryn Scollo, Megan Pesa, Gianna Tulipani, Juliana Spaulding and Hallie Glennon.
Together, they will be counted on to set the tone for the Warriors in 2023, one season after another strong campaign in which Wakefield went 10-7-1 to make the state tournament once again, where they earned the No. 25 seed and fought hard but came up just short, 2-0 to No. 8 Minnechaug on the road in the first round.
These experienced and talented Warriors of 2023 have started their season 2-2-1 and are currently on a two-game winning streak after a 3-1 victory over rival Melrose on Monday and a 6-0 home win over Everett on Tuesday. Wakefield tied Woburn 1-1 on Sept. 11 and have fell to Arlington (4-1) and Wilmington (1-0).
“We’re keeping positive and taking it one day at a time,” said Luca after those close early-season games.
The tide has shifted quickly, fitting for the themes that Luca wants her team to focus on this season: mental toughness, intensity and never giving up.
Wakefield’s intensity was on display in their win over Everett in which they scored five second-half goals to run away with it. All six tallies came from seniors as Tulipani had two, Neal and Scollo had a goal and an assist and Hodgdon and Bishop added single tallies.
“We’re making sure girls are up for any type of challenge in practice and in games and working on our strength and conditioning to be faster and stronger on the field,” said Luca of the team’s intensity.
The defense certainly fit that bill led by Hodgdon, Pesa, Leary, Spaulding, junior Stella Bangston and sophomore Sophia DeAngelis.
Glennon, a senior playing goalie for the first time this season who tallied 22 saves against a tough Arlington team, got the shutout in net against the Crimson Tide.
Wakefield’s mental toughness and refusal to quit was on display in their 3-1 win over Melrose on the road in the pouring rain.
After Melrose opened the scoring on a corner, Wakefield finished a corner of their own as Hodgdon scored, assisted by DeFeo.
“As a coach, the worst thing I can see in a player is giving up,” said Luca. “If you make a bad pass how are you going to fix it? If you get beat what are you going to do next?”
The response continued to be positive.
As they did against Everett, Wakefield’s midfield, including Middlesex League 2022 All-Star Spaulding, Leary, Dowd and DeFeo, went to work on shutting down any type of Melrose offense.
Neal scored the second goal off another corner to take the lead and Scollo scored the insurance goal assisted by Leary.
Glennon had 5 saves in the win.
“The girls played well,” said Luca. “I was very pleased with their performance. The downpours did not stop them.”
The mental toughness to stick with it is something the seniors have learned and will no doubt benefit from this year.
“Having grit and perseverance not just in field hockey but in everyday life is a skill, especially for these girls who juggle school, work and playing a sport,” said the coach.
If they can embrace that mentality, the team can go to work on accomplishing their goals, which includes but goes beyond mastering the fundamentals of the sport.
“Our team goal is to get a spot in the state tournament,” said Luca. “I would like the girls to build their confidence and team play. We have skill we were just having a hard time making it all come together at the beginning of the season. Together, we now have more of a sense of urgency to accomplish those goals.”
The Warriors will look to keep their winning streak going on Friday when they travel to Stoneham at 4 p.m. It will be their first of five straight road games before returning home to Landrigan Field on Oct. 4.