Kent’s girls junior varsity field hockey team comes out onto the field to face Kingswood-Oxford with a bang. Within the first three minutes of the first period Grace Yang ’21 scores a goal, bringing Kent School up 1-0, and only increasing the anxiousness for the opposing team. 

It is clear that the continuous communication between Kent’s girls junior varsity field hockey team is excellent, and indeed, this communication, along with the support and encouragement of each other, is part of this team’s philosophy of  “learning the sport, getting better, practicing, and just having some fun,” said Head Coach Parsons.

Parsons and Assistant Coach Hardcastle create a fun environment where the girls can bond and improve their skills. During the game, they try to have everyone get some playing time, so as players progress, they’ll get more and more playing time.

As the game nears the end of the first period, holding down the fort, goalie Katie D’Antonio ’22 blocks three shots with her swift reaction. The girls keep up their pressuring offense and strong defense, shooting throughs and passing to teammates frequently. 

Throughout the game, the Lions made many good plays, dribbling the ball down the field and attempting shots. Hayden Myer ’21 and Alexis Delmore ’22 both played well, with Delmore making a particularly memorable run: she took the ball down the field, and punting the ball over her opponents stick, made a great try for the goal. 

Five minutes before the first period was called, Kent scored another goal, changing the score to 2-0. Nearing the middle of the second period, Kingswood-Oxford School took a shot, sliding past D’Antonio to score. The final score was 2-1. 

Coach Parsons and Coach Hardcastle try to keep a fun environment when playing. Coach Parsons tells the girls, “I don’t care about the score. If you are playing to the best of your ability we are really happy with you. Just try to keep it light and fun.” 

The captains of the team, Myer, Olivia Leary ’21, and Bailey Nortillo ’20, are hard at work with their teammates to improve their skills and flow throughout the field. With the games they’ve played so far this season, the girls have shown their talents, and we look forward to watching them continue to succeed for the rest of the season.