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Where did the season go?

It’s almost playoff time!

With just a week remaining in the regular season both Division I and II are
primed and ready to go into the playoffs. It looks as though Division I will
be a true battle! Currently in first place is North Kingstown with an 12-1-1
record followed by defending state champion Barrington High School with a
10-1-1 record. Tied for third with identical 9-3-1 records are powerhouses East Greenwich and Lincoln High School. These teams represent field hockey at its finest. I only wish I had the opportunity to see some of these contests this season. I'm sure they were hotly-contested games with some excellent play. I'm looking forward to watching these teams play each other especially on the turf! Wheeler had a chance to play Deb McMullen's East Greenwich squad earlier this season. The teams played to a hard fought 0-0 tie. The Avengers are a well-coached and solid team who should find much success come playoff time. Good luck to all of you.

A special mention to North Kingstown….they have had 15 different players contribute to their overall scoring so far this season. That says a lot for
their versatility and team play in my book!

Now for Division II

This could be a tight race to the finals with some hungry teams in the hunt.
Battling it out will be the Southern Division's leader Warwick Vets,
followed closely by Rocky Hill and Chariho. Pilgrim, last year's
semi-finalist may still qualify for a playoff berth. In the Northern
Division, Wheeler stands alone in first place with a 12-1 record followed by
Bay View, Burrillville, and last year’s defending state champions, Moses
Brown.

Special mentions….

Once again, Smithfield's goalie Meghan Demars had a tremendous game against
Wheeler. She had 32 saves in their match-up on Wednesday in a losing 4-0
effort.

The Wheeler Burrillville game was perhaps one of the most exciting games I
have ever been part of. It saw 3 lead changes, 2 ties, and a rip roaring
overtime period ending with the Warriors edging the Broncos 4-3.

Bay View and Moses Brown had 2 thrilling games last week, each team losing
on their home turf by identical 2-1 scores.

Burrillville¹s Kristina Gingell is not only a goal scorer but a great field
player to boot!

Wheeler’s Jessie Epstein scored 3 goals in her last 2 games….& Rachel Cardi
has come off the bench to score a goal in 3 of her 4 outings.

Wheeler to date has had 12 different players contribute to their scoring column this
season...& welcome back Chelsea Tate & Hannah McConnell...it's great having you back on the field!

JV Tournament

Will take place at the Wheeler Farm in Seekonk on Saturday October 20th.
Division I teams will play in the morning session, beginning at 8 a.m. while
the Division II teams play in the afternoon session starting at 1:30. Good
luck ladies! Stay tuned for results.

Posted by Jean Carlson  at 6:53 PM to Field hockey | Permalink | Comments 0

Wheeler's 'Ball Magnet' & 'Around the League'

Halfway through the season…….

Wheeler, Moses Brown, Bay View, Burrillville, Warwick Vets, Rocky Hill, and Chariho, are just a few of the teams who are set to make a run to the playoffs this season in Division II field hockey. Our games against these teams were intense, well played and exciting match-ups. When Wheeler moved from Division I to Division II last season I was pleasantly surprised at the level of play. This is a competitive league where the athletes play with passion, attend camps, play in the off season, and take the game seriously.

Wheeler’s Ball Magnet….

Senior forward Sierra Olney is the Warrior’s leading scorer this season with 13 goals and 3 assists to date. One coach just recently described her as “a ball magnet.” Great description! She has scored the game-winning goal in 6 of Wheeler’s 9 league games and has at least 1 goal in 7 contests. She is not only a talented player, but she’s a team motivator, a role model for the younger players, and one of the team’s tri-captains.

Wheeler’s Unsung Hero mention must go to sweeper Kaila Baer. She is a smart player, well skilled, and is the leader in our backfield.

Around the League…

Kristina Gingell of Burrillville is currently the league leader with 19 tallies. Other high scorers in the league include Moses Brown’s Sherilyn DeStefano, and Burrillville’s Charlene Cipollone. Meredith Wasserman, Catie Colucci, Allyson Green, Hannah Knowles, and Sarah Knowles are just a few of the very talented players in this division. As for goalies…well so far Smithfield’s netminder Meghan Demars and Vet’s Kayla Cilley came up big in our match ups! Now for hard hitting teams… I’ve got to go with Burrillville and Smithfield. Can they hit! Coach Price has her players moving well, so the smooth passing nod goes to Chariho. The up and coming coach has to be Rocky Hill’s Traci Rainone. She’s doing a tremendous job with the Rocky Hill program. Not too long ago Traci was a key player for East Greenwich! It’s nice to see players coming back and giving to the sport where they found so much success. As for playing fields…it certainly was fun playing on Moses Brown’s turf!

Shout out to…A ‘shout out’ goes to Woonsocket field hockey coach Pam Paige for all the work she does on the RI Field Hockey Web Site! Check it out at www.rifieldhockey.com

Wheeler is working hard and hoping to make another run for the playoffs this year. We know it will not be an easy road and that the competition will be fierce especially down the home stretch.

Posted by Jean Carlson  at 11:53 AM to Field hockey | Permalink | Comments 0