Field hockey celebrates Senior Day with conference win

By Taylor Kimmell

Asst. Sports Editor

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

In their annual Senior Day game, the Framingham State Rams secured a celebratory victory against the Salem State Vikings.

This win improves the team’s conference record to 2-7 and their overall record to 3-11.

The Vikings' offensive drive kicked off the game, with a shot driven wide of the net at 2:25.

Framingham’s strong defense earned them control of the game, allowing the team to work their way down the field so senior Reese Perry could take a shot on goal. 

After Perry’s shot was deflected by Salem’s goaltender Izzy Mosley, the ball bounced directly to the stick of Rams’ forward Finley Hogan, a sophomore, who flicked it directly past Mosley and into the back of the net, earning Framingham the first goal of the match.

Hogan said, “I think getting the first goal of the game, and getting it relatively quickly after the start of the game, helped the team be ready and more into it after we scored.”

On Oct. 15, Hogan was acknowledged as a top Division III scorer by The Field Hockey Analyst, a widely known social media account in the field hockey community. Hogan has scored eight goals so far this season.

She said the recognition “helps me realize that I really am making a difference in helping my team while also hitting milestones for myself and my goals.” 

Sophomore Mikayla Malmquist attempted to score three minutes later, but the shot was saved by Mosley.

Mosley faced an obstruction call from this save, resulting in a corner for Framingham, yielding one shot from Hogan that was wide of the net.

The Rams earned another corner less than a minute later, allowing freshman Chloe Moynihan to take a shot.

FSU earned one more corner during the quarter, which resulted in another shot from Hogan.

Within the first two minutes of the second quarter, Salem sent in a shot, which was deflected by senior goaltender Angelina Barrett. The Vikings earned a corner and scored a goal to tie the game 1-1.

The Rams did not let this goal go unnoticed, answering with a shot on the Vikings' net three minutes later from Malmquist.  

Moynihan followed suit with two shots of her own - one saved by Mosley and the other missing the net.

Hogan and Malmquist each contributed with another shot before Malmquist netted a goal, breaking the stalemate and earning back Framingham’s advantage.

FSU continued to dominate on offense, and with less than a minute to go before the half, senior Natalia Roehr scored a third goal, assisted by freshman Hannah Poklemba.

Roehr said the feeling of “scoring on such a special day was so amazing and so heartwarming. … It made the whole day so much more memorable.”

After their success during the first half of the game, the Rams returned to the field in high spirits.

The team’s optimism paid off when, just three minutes into the third quarter, senior Reese Perry scored Framingham’s fourth goal.

Perry said scoring a goal during the match was “the cherry on top of a great day!

“Having a goal on my Senior Day was unreal. I was so happy!” she added.

Salem fought to overcome the deficit, scoring less than two minutes later.

The Rams earned back control on offense, earning a corner on a foot penalty.

The corner allowed a shot from Moynihan and a subsequent goal attempt from junior Marina Cadena, both of which were defended by Mosley.

Mosley kicked Cadena’s ball directly to Hogan, who sent it right back toward the net.  

However, with her quick reflexes, Mosley blocked the ball, sending it back to her team.

The Vikings attempted a drive back toward the Rams’ net, but a defensive wall formed by Perry, Cadena, sophomore Allison Wurms, and junior Allison Harmuth kept the ball outside of Framingham’s 25-yard line.

Framingham’s next drive lasted the final six minutes of the third quarter, with the Rams keeping the ball on Salem’s side of the 50-yard line.

Malmquist sent in a shot at 38:42, which was deflected by Mosley. 

Mosley’s save bounced off the turf and right into the shinguards of a Salem player, earning the Rams a corner.

Within the next 40 seconds, Malmquist took a shot on goal, but a stick save by a Vikings defender prevented the ball from entering the net.

The Rams kept up the pressure on offense, though they were unable to penetrate Salem’s defensive blockade before the quarter ended.

During the final quarter, the Vikings regained momentum.

Two penalty corners, one at 53:05 and one at 58:52, were the Rams’ only offensive plays during the quarter.

After Framingham’s first penalty corner, Salem quickly dribbled down the field, sending a shot wide of the net.

Three minutes later, the Vikings earned a corner on a Framingham penalty, allowing them to send in another shot - this one deflected by Cadena’s stick.

A minute later, Salem’s offenders pressured the net again with two consecutive attempts, both of which were defended by Barrett.

With less than a minute to go, the Vikings made one final attempt to score, with Barrett once again blocking the shot.

After the Rams took back the ball, passing it around to run down the clock, the game ended with a score of 4-2.

This win for Senior Day was important to the team. Malmquist said, “The intensity on Senior Day is definitely different from a regular game because we really want to give the senior class something to celebrate after all their hard work this season.”

Prior to the start of the game, the coaches and younger members of the team honored Barrett, Perry, and Roehr. 

The team decorated the complex with posters and balloons, and the seniors’ families walked the players across the field, handing them flowers and acknowledging their presence on the team during past seasons.

Perry said, “My favorite part of Senior Day had to have been the surprises from my teammates and family. From posters to heartfelt notes, it was all amazing!

“I hope to leave our FH program just as connected and joyful as I found it. Our coaches and team have built an amazing environment, and I think it’s truly special,” she added.

Roehr said she hopes the team will continue to “play with heart, leaving everything out on the field. Always remember why you play and who you play for.”

She added she hopes they “truly enjoy and appreciate every moment you get with your team and on the field - it goes by so fast.”

The Rams lost 3-2 to Worcester State and 3-1 to Rivier Oct. 21 and Oct. 23, respectively.

After these games, Framingham’s overall record is 3-13 and their conference record is 2-8.

The team travels to Bridgewater State for a conference matchup Oct. 28.Hogan said, “I’m very hopeful that we will be able to use our win to carry over momentum into our busy next two weeks. 

“There were a lot of things that we did well during the game that I think will heavily aid us in the next few games as long as we use those skills accordingly,” she added.

Malmquist said, “This season, we’ve gone into a lot of games as the underdog, including the [previous] one against Salem. 

“Being confident that we can win even when we’re the underdog will be really important for our final games. … I think the win against Salem gave us some of the confidence we needed,” she added.