An abrupt end for the field hockey postseason

In their first playoff game, Oct 28, Blair fell to top notch field hockey team, Walt Whitman High School, 4-1. Their loss has severed their chances of playing in the second round of the postseason playoffs.

The Blazers started the game with intensity, but Whitman's domineering offense earned them two goals in the first ten minutes of the first half. Fundamentals, such as challenging attackers and keeping hockey sticks down kept Blair's defense from warding off incoming attempts towards the goal post.

Even as the end of the game drew near, Blair continued to hustle. With one minute left in the second half, defender Jessie Procter, a senior, poled the ball into Whitman's goal. Procter did not play most of the game due to a migraine.

Coach Anne Miller believes the team's upbeat attitudes became a strong point throughout the season. She congratulated the team for "keeping their heads up in adversity."

Senior attack Amy Nguyen pointed out that the team capitalized on a "strong defense" throughout the shortened season.

Despite that, Blair had a lot to improve upon, said Miller. "We wanted to work on defense, and putting the ball in the cage," Miller said. Execution of plays and offense is annother area the team needed to work on, said Nguyen. Working on those skills became hard because of cancelled practices.

In the beginning of the season, Blair started strong, winning their first two games against Paint Branch and Rockville high schools. Later in the season, as Blair faced more competitive field hockey teams, like Quince Orchard High School, wins became infrequent.

Blair's field hockey's second half of the season came to an abrupt end due to the sniper shootings and cancellations of five games, leaving their record 2-4-1. Their record has remained the same since the team played against Whitman, Oct 1.

According to goalie Anna Wong, a senior, Blair had determined to win most of their games in the second half of the season in order to improve their record. As Blair faced tough opponents, like Churchill High School, in the first half of the season, they expected to play and beat teams of a lower caliber, such as Kennedy High School, in the second half of the season, said senior link Ariel Beck.

The expectations of a renewed field hockey team slowly diminished as the sniper case continued, taking three weeks out of the season. "It was disappointing that we could not improve our record," Beck said. "We would've dominated against teams like Kennedy and Wheaton."

Some players on the team believed that though the initial cancellations of field hockey games were understandable, all were not necessary. Procter said she felt "there was no need to cancel the games," but instead, "reschedule them."

Attack Leah Cowdrey, a senior, believes that all the precautions taken by the county were essential towards after school activities. "I'd rather miss half a season than see myself or friends hurt," Cowdrey said.

Besides game cancellations, almost all field hockey practices before playoffs were cancelled. Field hockey practices are usually held at Acorn Hill Park but under code blue restrictions, Blair had to hold their first practice in the auxiliary gym. These practices were held less than a week from Blair's playoff game against Whitman. Attack Julia Penn, a sophomore, says that shortage of practices effected the team's quickness against Whitman. "A lot of the players on the field were more winded than usual," said Penn.

Blair's field hockey team will be losing ten seniors, most of whom are key starters on the team. Miller says she believes that the team will have dependable juniors and sophomores next season. With them, Miller says she hopes to "rebuild the team."