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Field Hockey
Top: Sophomore Rachel Canedy (15) and senior Abbe Lecuyer work together against Norwich Free Academy last week. Middle: Rachel Canedy (15) battles for the ball for Woodstock Academy in a 6-0 field hockey victory over NFA. Right: Lily Brin of Woodstock Academy takes on a Norwich Free Academy player.   Photos courtesy of  Marc Allard.



It was a good start for the Woodstock Academy girls’ field hockey team.
The squad began play last week with a pair of Eastern Connecticut Conference tests and one non-league game.
The Centaurs did what they had to and won both league games, 6-0 over NFA and 5-3 over Killingly. Enfield rallied from an early deficit to hand the Centaurs a 4-1 loss Sept. 15.
“It’s huge because it already puts us a third of the way to qualifying for the state tournament with a 15-game schedule,” said coach Lauren Gagnon.
The Centaurs wasted no time in their opener against Norwich Free Academy.
They scored all six of their goals in the first half, three goals came in the first 3 minutes, 39 seconds.
“It set the tone,” Gagnon said. “We have a word or phrase for every game and (Tuesday) it was ‘Start strong.’ We wanted to start the season strong, start the game strong and get rid of that feeling that maybe we’re not one of the top teams in the ECC because we definitely are. That inferiority complex has been hanging with us for a couple of years now.”
Senior Hannah Chubbuck became the first to score for the Centaurs this season when she scored shortly after the opening whistle.
(Avery Jones) just pushed it across the goal and I tipped it into the corner,” Chubbuck said.
Abby Kruger and Samantha Mowry followed quickly behind with goals of their own.
“That got us going and excited for the game,” Chubbuck said.
Gagnon was happy to see a senior get the first tally of the 2018 season.
“She is just one of those kids who comes to practice every day, puts her head down and works hard. She doesn’t goof around. She’s in every drill doing her thing. She’s a great athlete and a great role model for the younger players,” Gagnon said.
Sophia Rakovan, Emma Durand and Kate Boshka all added first-half goals.
It then became a score management situation for Gagnon.
“We shifted our focus to positioning across the field, something we don’t do particularly well. We put the foot on the gas and just go, go, go. We, sometimes, don’t take the time to transition across the field or back pass. So, we just took it off the throttle a little bit and moved the ball around a little bit more,” Gagnon said.
The foot was off the throttle Sept. 13.
Not because of the score but because of the turf and style of play.
The Redgals play their home games on natural grass.
It’s not something the Centaurs are accustomed to and struggle with.
“I was really tremendously impressed with how our skills showed on grass. It’s really hard to look like a good field hockey player on grass no matter who you are. You look awful on grass,” Gagnon said.
Because of that, Gagnon was impressed when a Meg Preston shot traveled some 50 yards.
Sam Mowry scored the first of her two goals just 4:10 into the game on an assist from Chubbuck. Boshka added the second goal just 2:40 before the half.
Mowry, Rachel Canedy and Sydney Cournoyer added second half goals.
Canedy also had a pair of assists.
“I honestly don’t know how Rachel didn’t score like four or five goals with the way she was hitting the ball. She was hitting it so hard and she was inches away from the post every time,” Gagnon said.
Enfield played its season opener on the South Campus turf at Woodstock Academy Sept. 15 and was successful.
The Centaurs again scored early as Canedy zipped one into the net just 2:52 into the game off a feed from Eliza Dutson.
Unfortunately for the Centaurs, it was their only goal of the game.
Tori Geaglone scored with 3:14 left in the first half and added two more in the second. Laney Vangel also scored for Enfield.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
The Woodstock Academy

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