Every year since Walpole earned the title of the “Porkers,” players and coaches have only ever strived to be the best. In their 2024 season, the Porkers took home many wins, despite facing some tough games, ending their regular season with a 17-0-1 record. The team was hungry and determined to bring home a second consecutive win over Andover High School in the Division 1 State Championship.
During the 2021 and 2022 season, the Porkers made it through the final four into the championship. However, in both seasons the Porkers were met with a loss by Andover. In their 2023 season, they seized the opportunity to turn their previous losses into a victory. Again in 2024, the team beat Andover, ending with a score of 2-0.
“I believe that the motivation we had was because of the friendship the team members had.” said senior Captain Sophia Fruci. “We worked as hard as we could not just for ourselves but each other. I feel as if we had a bond like no other and that was one of the main reasons we pushed all the way until the end.”
On Saturday, Nov. 16, field hockey fans from both Walpole and Andvoder drove to Worcester State University to cheer on the players. From the start, the energy was high with Walpole’s student section dressing in all white to show their enthusiasm and school spirit.
The team only tied once this season against Natick High School, giving them the motivation to only achieve more wins.
“The reason why it was so difficult was because all of us were in our heads,” said Fruci. “We began to play as individuals rather than a team, so we weren’t able to get the ball in the net. As much as the game was tough, in the end we grew and learned from it.”
Right off the bat, within the first three minutes, Walpole drew a corner in their offensive circle but, unfortunately, they did not score. Nearing the halfway mark of the first quarter, junior Emily Hagan made a strong pass to junior Kate Schneider as the ball passed the net line and into the goal, leading to the first point of the game.
With around five and a half minutes left in the quarter, the Porkers were able to draw yet another corner over the Warriors. Fruci scored over the goalie with an assist by senior Jenna Wong and junior Kendal Cusack.
Senior goalie Aideen Smith had many close calls with Andovers offense but stood strong not letting any goals into the net. By the end of the quarter, teams were tense as both only drew a corner each, finishing with a 2-0 lead by the Porkers.
When the second quarter began, Walpole shut down any attempts for Andover to score and advance in the game. However, the Porkers were able to draw four corners throughout the quarter.
By the second half, Andover’s defense began to struggle and let down. Walpole focused on keeping Adover’s offense out of the circle and the team achieved that by drawing seven more corners, taking a very clear lead in the game. Starting from the beginning of the game, there were many attempts and shots taken on the Warrior goalie, but unfortunately they couldn’t find the back of the net.
Keeping the energy high, Andover was able to make a comeback with two corners within the first few minutes, but Smith stood relentlessly, making sure no goals entered the Porkers net. Though the Warriors came in hot, it didn’t affect the Porkers who were able to come up with four corners back to back. With around seven minutes in a minute and a half left in the championship, the coaches called a timeout on the field.
As the buzzer rang to mark the end of the game, The Walpole Porkers were able to say they successfully beat the Andover Warriors with a score of 2-0, claiming the title of 2024 Division I State Champions for the second year in a row.
“Throughout our season and tournament the motivation was proving people wrong and defending the State Championship title,” senior captain Georgia Tashjian said. “Having the motivation to defend that title caused us to work harder each day and never give up while on the field.”
