The Oak Park and River Forest High School field hockey team had been in a downward trend recently, but if the start of this season is any indication, the Huskies may be turning things around.
OPRF is 4-3 following a 3-1 victory at Naperville North, Sept. 4. In her eighth year as head coach, Kristin Wirtz likes how things are going so far.
“This group of athletes is determined and hardworking,” she said. “They come to practice every day ready to work and get better. We still have a lot of work to do, but we continue to grow each and every day.”
Senior midfielder and co-captain Maeve Carmody, who had 11 goals and seven assists last season, agrees.
“This season is definitely an improvement from last year already,” she said. “As we keep winning, more momentum is building and that’s always a great feeling.”
OPRF (5-13-1 last year) also brings back senior defenders Elizabeth Avalos and Claudia Smith, senior midfielders Maeve Fishburne and Mallory McConville, senior forwards Josie McConville and Ivy Schottler, senior goalkeeper Anna Frost, and junior forwards Chloe Boyer and Annalise Hartin, who’s already got four goals this year.
Newcomers are freshman defenders Olivia Guzman-Badillo and Dani Ortega, sophomore defender Aminah Mbengue, sophomore goalkeeper Jeannette Fort, and senior goalkeeper Maggie Fougere.
“We’re young on defense and need to continue to grow in efficiency and marking,” Wirtz said. “However, we have a group that never gives up on the ball and fights for the win. If we can combine our fight and determination with stronger attention to detail tactically, I don’t think there’s anything stopping this group from achieving their goals.”
For her part, Carmody, who was a forward last season, appreciates taking on more of a leadership role in her final year. In preparation, she was selected to the USA Field Hockey Junior Nexus Championship team.
“Being in the USA pipeline for several months has transformed my game and competitiveness a lot, and I am very grateful to have experienced that and be able to bring all I learned to the team,” Carmody said. “I think it really changed the way I see the game and it’s made me become a better player and step into this new position with full confidence.”
Carmody and Fishburne, OPRF’s other captain, have been playing together for years. They believe their chemistry has allowed them to persevere in tough times, and now they’re ready to lead the Huskies back to not just respectability, but also to being a team to be reckoned with in the playoffs.
“It’s definitely a big change and a lot of responsibility to be the oldest, most senior players on the team,” Fishburne said. “I think my role models and leaders in the past did a great job preparing me for this because I was able to learn from example and learn the qualities of a good leader through them.”
Wirtz got an early sense of how different this season was at the Great Lakes Region Tournament in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Aug. 28-29. OPRF finished 2-1, their best showing ever there.
“Our final game was against Grosse Pointe South (Michigan), which was a solid team,” Wirtz said. “In our second game that day, we were able to fight for a 1-0 win where our athletes showed their grit and determination.”
That grit will be needed the rest of the way as the Huskies claw their way upward.
“We want to compete with the highest-level teams this season and play every game for all 60 minutes at our best,” said Wirtz. “We want to put all the pieces together by the time postseason comes around to make a strong run.”
“I am so excited for the rest of our season. I think we have a great shot at making a deep run in the playoffs this year, but to do so we definitely need to continue working hard,” Fishburne said. “Our team will continue to learn and grow on and off the field in the coming weeks and we’ll be ready not only for the playoffs, but for every matchup between now and then as well.”