Field hockey falls to Bridgewater in annual breast cancer awareness game

By Taylor Kimmell Asst. Sports Editor

Meg Dame / THE GATEPOST

The Framingham State Rams fell to the Bridgewater State Bears 5-1 in a conference matchup Oct. 4. Bridgewater’s forwards pressured Framingham’s side of the field out of the gate, closing in for a shot on goal two-and-a-half minutes in that was saved by Captain and goaltender Kaitlyn Tello, a junior. Their first shot on net earned BSU a corner, which did not yield any shots on net, but earned the team a second corner, during which the Rams cleared the ball past the Bears’ 25-yard line. Two minutes later, Bridgewater pressured the net once again, resulting in another shot saved by Tello. Ten minutes in, after both teams alternated offensive pushes, Bridgewater again brought the ball to FSU’s net, with Tello blocking two consecutive shots. Tello’s clear allowed the Rams to bring the ball down the field, with sophomore Mikayla Malmquist making the first shot on the Bears’ net, blocked by Bridgewater goaltender Brianna Gagnon. Bridgewater took advantage of this save and brought the ball to the Rams’ net, with Tello saving their first shot at 10:25. However, BSU’s second shot found a gap in FSU’s defense, allowing the Bears to score the first goal of the game. Not a minute later, Bridgewater earned a corner penalty and quickly found the back of the net once again, ending the quarter 2-0. Two minutes into the second quarter, sophomore Allison Wurms earned Framingham a penalty corner. Forty seconds later, sophomore Reese Neale earned the team’s first goal of the game - on her birthday! Following the Rams’ goal, Bridgewater’s offense brought the ball down to shoot on FSU’s net, but were blocked by Tello. BSU earned a corner on the next play, but the Rams stole back possession and earned two corners of their own. The final minutes of the half yielded three more shots from Framingham - one from Malmquist and two from sophomore Finley Hogan. Coming into the second half with a score of 2-1, Bridgewater worked quickly to widen their lead. A shot from the Bears’ offense resulted in a corner, which in turn earned the team their third goal of the game on a stroke. Two Framingham corners ensued, with one resulting in a shot from Hogan. Tello saved two additional shots before BSU was able to find the back of the net once more. Another shot from Neale marked the final play of the third quarter. The Rams tried to make up the points, earning two corners in the final quarter. A shot from Malmquist was unable to break through. On the following play, junior defender Marina Cadena blocked a shot from Bridgewater. With just three minutes left on the clock, the Bears netted another goal. FSU was unable to recover from the deficit, and the match ended with a score of 5-1 for Bridgewater. Tello accumulated 10 saves over four quarters. This match, despite the result, was an important one for the Rams - their annual Breast Cancer Awareness game. Junior Allison Harmuth said, “It’s important we play for a reason that goes beyond our team, school, or sport.” The Rams show their support by sporting pink T-shirts, pink hair accessories, and temporary tattoos, as well as hanging posters around the Maple Field Athletic Complex. Hogan said, “I think we all enjoy making posters together because it brings us closer for a good cause. I like that we have a poster that we all sign with names of people we know who are fighting, have fought, or did fight.” On Tuesday, Oct. 7, the Rams earned their first conference win with a score of 2-1 in a match against Anna Maria College. The goals came from Cadena and senior Natalia Roehr. FSU outshot the Amcats 23-14, with attempts by Neale, Malmquist, Hogan, Harmuth, freshmen Chloe Moynihan, Hannah Poklemba, and Aubrey Jenkins, junior Jillian Meeker, and senior Reese Perry. The Amcats’ lack of cohesion allowed the Rams to play a heavily offensive game. Hogan said Anna Maria’s style of play was “very clumped in the middle of the field, so we were able to capitalize on the sidelines while carrying the ball up the field.” Harmuth agreed, saying Anna Maria’s lack of coordination on plays allowed the Rams to gain an advantage. She said, “They hit balls that often got stopped by our defense, and we had a few offensive pushes that way, with passing progressions up the sideline.” Following this game, the Rams’ overall record is 2-9 and their conference record is 1-5. Hogan said, “It feels really good to have a conference win under our belt, and I think that the win will carry us over into the rest of the season.” Following a string of game-related injuries early in the season, the Rams are grateful to be making strides to improve their record. Harmuth said, “After a streak of losing, it feels unreal to have a win. Our team is very grateful for the challenges we have overcome this season.” The Rams travel to Westfield State University for a conference matchup Oct. 11.