This past Thursday, the Milford field hockey team hosted Indian River for their final home game of the season. While the Buccaneers fell by a score of 3-1 to the visitors, it did not diminish the hard work and dedication Milford’s five seniors have committed to the program. Sitting with a record of 8-6 the Buccaneers have one final test as they travel up to Smyrna this Thursday to take on the Eagles.
The five soon to be graduating players are: midfielder Molly Masten, a five-year player; midfielder Julianne Dickerson, a five-year player; defender Scarlett Fitzgerald, attacker Katelyn Joseph and defender Olivia Evans. Each one of them have been key contributors during their time at Milford and are products of a culture that develops more than field hockey skills. Under the leadership of coach Andrea McPike, these players develop life skills that will serve them well in the future. One thing that has been easily noticeable over the course of McPike’s career is the respect she holds for all of her players, past and present.
“This is yet another group of great young ladies who I have watched mature during their time at Milford,” McPike said. “It is always difficult to say goodbye to them, but they are always close to my heart.”
Speaking with Captain Masten, she was emotional following her final home game.
“I can’t understate how great it has been to play here. It’s not just a team, it is a family,” Masten said. “We care deeply about each other, always spend time together and always have so much fun making each other laugh. This is a special place to play and I will miss it.”
As for the game itself, Milford started strong with early opportunities in the circle, they just couldn’t convert as Indian River sophomore keeper Maria Juarez-Martinez would record eight saves during the game. Milford’s failure to score allowed Indian River to find their feet and slowly work their way back into the game. Finally, at the 4:36 Mark of the second quarter, I.R.’s Avery Bare would score the first half’s only goal.
Following the senior recognition ceremony at halftime, Indian River would score at the 5:30 mark of the third quarter and 12:44 of the fourth quarter to hold a 3-0 lead. Milford sophomore Bria Leyanna would score with 9:09 remaining in the game for Milford’s only goal.
As it stands at the moment, Milford is likely to qualify for the DIAA Division I tournament. The seeding index is complicated, and nothing will be official until the Tournament Committee meets. This season Milford has had a multitude of games where they statistically outplayed the opposition. The problem has been finding the back of the net, and it is something McPike and the team continue to work on.
“I will admit it can be frustrating when you look at the stat-sheet and it looks as if you should have won the game, but at the end of the game the team with the most goals wins and we have not been finishing our opportunities,” McPike said. “We are working on it, and we don’t look ahead to anything like the tournament, we just work on getting better every practice.”
