Field hockey season intense

By Beth Mechum
Staff Writer

Typically, field hockey powerhouses are located in northeast cities. New York and Massachusetts are havens for field hockey successes.

But teams in Chapel Hill have worked hard to have their names included in such discussions. East Chapel Hill High and Chapel Hill High are consistently fighting for North Carolina state titles (they’ve won all but one of the state championship titles this decade) and consistently impress teams from the North who dare to challenge them. And the Tar Heels are just a couple of years removed from an undefeated NCAA Championship field hockey run.

It’s no surprise then that the Wildcats and Tigers are again at the top of the high school field hockey ranks. But this year, Carrboro High is trying to add its name to the list. They’re not quite there yet, but the Jaguars are making a statement.
“I think this year is the year that we’re going to establish our place,” Carrboro coach Elizabeth Cherry said. “I think across the state, we’re proving we’re not just a team to take lightly anymore, and I think that’s a great accomplishment that we’ve come so far in only three years.”

Things haven’t changed too drastically just yet; Chapel Hill and East will still likely reign supreme in North Carolina field hockey this year.

East held the title of state champion last year by beating Chapel Hill in the final game. But in last week’s rivalry game, Chapel Hill showed it’ s up to the task of knocking East off its throne, with a 2-1 win.

Carrboro High
This is the first year Carrboro has had the luxury of fielding both a junior varsity and a varsity team, and Cherry is having a hard time separating the two. Her team is her team, she said, and she prefers to view them as a single entity.

“I really view all of them as one team, one big cohesive group,” she said. “They work so hard, I push them a lot, and I ask a lot of them. They always give me everything they have, which is what I want, and I think that they have fun at the same time.”

Cherry is a young coach with a lot of playing experience. And in addition to her skills and play calling, it’s her love of field hockey that she hopes she’s passing on to the Jaguars.

“Field hockey is something that I love; I want to express that to them,” she said. “I think that it’s something that they do love, and I hope it’s as big a part of their lives as it is mine.”

It’s that sort of passion that’s contributing to a breakout year for the Jaguars, who are winning more games, and are staying close in all the games they haven’t won.

Record: 3-3
Key Players:Meela Mahanty, Lexi Xenakis, Bridget Gallagher

East Chapel Hill High
The Wildcats are the defending state champions, and though they have a new coach and there are some different faces on the field, they’re expecting to fight for a repeat.

Susan Taylor took over as head coach this year after serving as JV coach last year, and it’s been a seamless transition. She’s coached many of the girls since their freshman year, and said it’s been gratifying watching them progress and grow more cohesive.

“The team bonding is amazing,” Taylor said. “There is no drama – and it’s very rare for there not to be drama.”

Record: 6-3
Key Players: Samantha Anscher, Rachel Henke

Chapel Hill High
Chapel Hill has bragging rights for now after beating East in last week’s game – the biggest match-up of the regular season for both teams. It’s still too early to say if this is a good enough indicator to project state title hopes, but it’s safe to say the Tigers were happy to end East’s three-game winning streak against them.

Now Chapel Hill will have to ward off a physical and emotional letdown and use the momentum to carry them through the season, or at least until the rivals play again on Oct. 8.
Record: 9-0
Key Players: Jessica Barfield, Kelsey Buckley