Two years ago, the Oak Park and River Forest High School field hockey team reached the state finals. But the players responsible for that appearance have graduated, so while the Huskies are reloading this season, they have suffered more defeats than they’re accustomed to.
OPRF is 4-10-1 after going winless at the Huskie Invitational last weekend. On Oct. 6, a late goal by junior Paulina Simkowski gave the Huskies an 1-1 draw with Louisville Collegiate.
The following day, in the opening match of the invitational, sophomore Ava Gallagher’s goal gave OPRF an early lead against Mary Institute and Country Day School of St. Louis (MO). But MICDS rallied for a 2-1 victory.
In the next match against Lake Forest, the Huskies allowed the first six goals. Sophomore Mazie Hoerster broke up the Scouts’ shutout bid with a second-half goal, but it wasn’t enough as OPRF fell 6-1 to end the tournament.
“I actually think we did some positive things,” said OPRF coach Kristin Wirtz. “Against MICDS, I thought we stepped up and played as a unit. We played much better possession hockey.
“Unfortunately, that broke down a bit in this match with Lake Forest,” she added. “It set us back, and we struggled defensively in the first half. We did pick it up in the second half.”
Having only seven seniors on the roster means that the Huskies are going through some growing pains this fall, but Wirtz feels that’s part of the process.
“We’re definitely rebuilding,” she said. “We have more losses than we hoped for, but I think we’ve competed in every game, so that’s good.”
An example of OPRF’s competitiveness came earlier this season in a game at Evanston Township, one of Chicagoland’s top teams. The Huskies beat the Wildkits 2-1, and Wirtz believes they saw glimpses of the team’s potential.
She was also encouraged by the Huskie Invitational, saying OPRF can use it as a building block for the rest of the season.
“This tournament was actually a good step in the right direction,” Wirtz said. “We entered with several losses in a row, so the fact that we got the tie [against Louisville Collegiate] tells me we’re playing much better hockey.”
Wirtz also liked playing in Oak Park Stadium, as the newly reconstructed Lake Street multi-purpose field has room for just one field hockey playing surface instead of two like the old field had.
“It was nice,” she said. “The turf [inside the stadium] is older, which is nicer for field hockey. We like flat turf.”
With the postseason coming up soon, OPRF wants to be in the best possible position to make a run. But there’s plenty to improve on before then.
“We need to work on cleaner marking (defensively) inside the circle, better possession on sideline balls, and finishing (offensively) inside the circle,” Wirtz said.
OPRF hosts Glenbard West on Oct. 11 at 5:30 p.m. on the Lake Street field.