Watterson's bid for third consecutive field hockey state title ends in overtime loss
As she and the members of the Watterson field hockey team began gathering up their belongings Nov. 5 at Thomas Worthington, coach Janet Baird said she couldn't have asked for anything else from the group of players that put together the program's latest run to the state tournament.
Although the Eagles had their two-year hold of the state championship end with a 3-2 overtime loss to Thomas, they entered this season with numerous question marks with only one returning starter on defense and after losing scoring standouts such as 2022 graduate Molly Griffith.
Even after splitting their first four games and losing another game in October, though, the Eagles headed into the offseason with their sixth state runner-up trophy after finishing 17-4.
“I’m super proud of them as a team and they’re such an amazing group of girls,” said Baird, who is 371-84-25 since taking over in 1997. “Nobody thought they were going to be back here. It was amazing because they are kind of the unlikely characters.”
Watterson avenged two of its regular-season losses to set up the rematch with Thomas, which it beat 2-1 in overtime to capture the 2021 title.
The Eagles lost to Upper Arlington in a scrimmage and then opened with a 2-1 loss to the Golden Bears on Aug. 24, but the teams matched up again for the regional title Oct. 29 and second-seeded Watterson earned a 2-1 win over top-seeded UA.
Watterson also lost to Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame 1-0 on Oct. 1, but in a state semifinal Nov. 3, the Eagles dominated the Cougars 3-0 as senior attackers Avelinn O’Reilly and Sophia Schultheis and junior attacker Avery McClain scored.
In the state final, O’Reilly and Schultheis scored to give the Eagles a 2-1 halftime lead before the Cardinals controlled the action throughout much of the second half.
“It was kind of a tale of two halves where we played a better first half and then we played a more defensive second half,” Baird said. “We had a harder time possessing the ball in the second half and they were getting to the ball quicker."
The Eagles had six other seniors, including Lily Goodfellow (attacker), Kenzi Jones (goalie) and Ellie Pardi (defender), who joined Schultheis on the all-COFHL first team. O’Reilly made the second team along with McClain, and junior midfielder Reese Tucker was honorable mention all-league.
“It was hard to start off the season because we lost eight starters, but we’re all athletes,” senior defender Meg Newcomb said. “We started off as friends and had that chemistry and we were able to carry it onto the field and that helps a lot.”
Pardi and Schultheis were first-team all-state and Jones made the second team.
Schultheis had 27 goals and five assists and Goodfellow had nine goals and nine assists to lead the offense.
McClain should be the top returnee offensively after finishing with seven goals and 10 assists.
Juniors Sophia Ford (attacker), Carly Henry (midfielder) and Lily Kuypers (midfielder), sophomores Gigi Francati (midfielder) and Addison Ryno (midfielder) and freshman Lilly Mulligan (midfielder) are others who should take on bigger roles next season.
“(The underclassmen are) ready,” Henry said. “Our senior class was unbelievable. I think our team is like a family and that’s how we got so far. That’s what kept us in the game because we held each other up.”
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WATTERSON FIELD HOCKEY
•Record: 17-4 overall
•COFHL-East standings: Watterson (8-0), New Albany (7-1), Columbus Academy (6-2), Granville (3-4-1), Hartley (3-4-1), Columbus School for Girls (2-4-2), Bexley (1-5-2), Worthington Kilbourne (2-6), Lancaster (0-6-2)
•Seniors lost: Lily Goodfellow, Rachel Gora, Kenzi Jones, Meg Newcomb, Avelinn O’Reilly, Ellie Pardi, Nora Racz and Sophia Schultheis
•Key returnees: Gigi Francati, Carly Henry, Avery McClain and Reese Tucker
•Postseason: Def. Lancaster 6-0; def. Olentangy 4-0; def. Upper Arlington 2-1; def. Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame 3-0; lost to Thomas Worthington 3-2 (OT) in state final
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Watterson loses bid for third straight field hockey state title
