Mount Pleasant’s field hockey team has been a source of pride for our school for many years, winning 14 games five years ago during the 2018-2019 season, and 12 the very next.
However, the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 put a stop to that streak. It can’t be understated how difficult it is to coach, recruit, and play a contact sport like field hockey during a global pandemic. During the 2020-2021 season, each athlete was only permitted to bring two guests to spectate per game. And for some games, such as when Mount played A.I. DuPont, no guests were allowed, and the game was instead live streamed.
In following years those restrictions have been lifted, but the team has still felt the effects. Coming off of Covid, fewer people felt comfortable joining sports. In fact, if you’ve ever looked at the roster, you may have noticed that we only had one senior listed this season. Ainsley McDonald was one of three students to join field hockey in 2021, and the only one who continued playing into her senior year. The lack of experienced players has certainly been felt. In 2022 and 2023, Mount has won, as the team likes to say, “two-and-a-half” games each season, with two wins and one tie in both.
So, how does a team come back from such a struggle? The answer is found in amazing coaches, captains, and passion. This year, the team not only won six games, a drastic improvement, but also made games they never considered potentially competitive. Last year, Mount lost to Appoquonomik 9-0. This year, Appo only scored one goal against Mount.
Something has certainly clicked for the team, and it’s all thanks to a few special people. For one, the coaches: Deborah Thurlow, Lisa Conti, and Jillian Savage. There’s also the wonderful senior captain, Ainsley McDonald, and the equally amazing junior captains: Isabella “Bella” Muniz, Lillyana “Lilly” Roush, Maxalyn “Max” Ryan, and Elizabeth “Lizzy” Knotts.
Such a promising season certainly makes the future of this team look bright, especially with a plethora of junior players ready to step into full leadership. Prepare to head out and get hyped, Mount, because next year just might get even better.
