The Bay State League, so far, poses no problem for the Walpole High School girl’s field hockey team. The Porkers remain undefeated this season, with a record of 8-0. They have had an extremely successful start to their season, with an average of six goals scored per game. The defense has also been outstanding, having not let up a single goal yet in the season.
Last Monday, September 24, Walpole faced the Norwood Mustangs, who are in second place in the Bay State League. This game was supposed to the be the toughest game for the Porkers in their league. Walpole played extremely well, and handily beat Norwood 8-0.
On the contrary, Thursday’s game versus Needam was a different story. Despite Walpole winning the game 4-0, they did not play up to their full potential. “Norwood is supposed to be the second best team in the Bay State League and we dominated; however, in our game against Needham — a team not as strong as Norwood — we didn’t play with the same intensity and it showed in the score” said senior Captain Michaela Tosone.
The Porkers are at a slight disadvantage with a majority of their games being against teams that will not push the Walpole team to become a better team. “Towns like Andover and Acton-Boxboro have the advantage at playing a competitive level all season. As a result, they are able to develop their starters and their team as a whole” explains assistant coach Jenn Quinn.
The real challenges for the Porkers will come with the non-league games. These non-league contests consist of playing Weston, October 24; Notre Dame of Worcester, October 14; and two-time defending state champions Andover on Columbus Day Weekend. “Weston, Andover, and Notre Dame will give us a nice look as to what’s to come. It will allow us to see our weakness that may not be evident when playing against a weaker team” said Quinn.
The higher competition found in these non-league games will help the Porkers prepare for the more difficult games that will come in the tournament. Because the other teams in the Bay State League don’t accurately represent the teams that the Porkers could potentially be playing come post-season, the games versus the top teams from other leagues will help build the experience and pressure that come with tighter games against skilled opponents. The Porkers will continue to practice and play hard against all competition in hopes of a succuessful post-season.
