Corrections: Pilgrim field hockey, Hendricken tennis as Stories of the Year

By Matt Metcalf
Posted 1/19/17

With all of the positive sports stories in Warwick in 2016, there were a couple, in particular, that were deserving of making the top 15 that were inexplicably left out. We'd first like to acknowledge the Pilgrim field

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Corrections: Pilgrim field hockey, Hendricken tennis as Stories of the Year

Posted

With all of the positive sports stories in Warwick in 2016, there were a couple, in particular, that were deserving of making the top 15 that were inexplicably left out.

We’d first like to acknowledge the Pilgrim field hockey team, which captured the Division II crown in late October, the school’s first field hockey title since 1981.

No. 7 Pilgrim battled through the D-II playoff bracket, ultimately forcing a matchup with No. 1 Lincoln School in the title game at Roger Williams University.

The Lynx took a 1-0 lead into halftime, but the Pats weren’t ready to just give in.

“The message [at half] was ‘Don’t play like you’re afraid to lose, play like you want to win,’” senior captain Paula Cavanagh said. “For the first half, we were playing a lot of defense and when that happens, you can’t win a game if you play defense, but you can win a game when you play defense but you also play the best offense you can. If you’re playing like you’re afraid to lose, then you can’t win; but if you play like you want to win, then you can do it.”

Pilgrim came out determined in the second half and chipped away at its deficit. It found the equalizer with 16 minutes to go as Stephanie Langevin found Morgan Oliver with a pass far post for a goal to tie the score at 1.

While Lindsey Fontes was making big save after big save, Pilgrim stayed on the attack.

Cavanagh was awarded a corner hit before floating a pass out to Karly Evans. Evans then returned a pass to Cavanagh in the middle, who turned and fired a shot to the back of the cage for the game-winner.

“I really believed in my team,” Fontes said. “We worked so hard to get [here] and it was just amazing. I have no words.”

Hendricken’s Boyer and Kirby capture doubles crown

After outlasting top-seeded South Kingstown in three sets in the state semifinals at Slater Park, Alexander Boyer and Christian Kirby of the Hendricken tennis team captured the doubles title with a straight-sets victory over Wheeler in the championship match.

After defeating the Rebels, the favorites coming into the state bracket, Boyer and Kirby barely broke a sweat against Peter Pond and Simon Redfern from Wheeler in a 6-1, 6-0 final.

“It feels amazing,” Boyer said. “It was a battle the entire time. Every match we had to work hard for, and we couldn’t let up at all. I’m just so proud of Kirby right here, he worked so hard and kept us going.”

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  • Marccomtois

    Thanks for the correction!

    Monday, January 23, 2017 Report this