NORTH SUTTON — Chelsea Williams and Melissa Lewis approached Tuesday’s field hockey game with the same mindset, but with different styles.
Williams, the head coach of Kearsarge, took the opportunity to play some of her girls who normally watch from the sidelines, all while having her starters engaged and looking at the game in a new way.
Lewis, the head coach of Franklin, challenges her team at every game to accomplish a new goal. Defense was the objective for the Golden Tornadoes.
Each team had its successes in its match, an 8-0 win for Kearsarge.
The Cougars (7-1-2) are in a prime playoff spot and currently hold the fourth seed, if the Division III state tournament were to begin today. The Cougars created quite the whirlwind against the Tornadoes, scoring six of their eight goals in the first 10 minutes of the game.
It’s a two-fold explanation as well.
Kearsarge has a roster loaded with seniors and ample amounts of varsity experience. Franklin hasn’t fielded a full team this season, and it traveled with eight girls Tuesday.
Using the numbers difference to its advantage, the Cougars peppered the Tornadoes with shots, scoring the goals they needed in order to feel comfortable allowing their junior varsity players earn experience.
“We had a couple of our (starters) stay on the field and then a majority of our JVs play,” Williams said. “We told the varsity to take a leadership role on the field, so I think for them it’s a good opportunity to be able to take a step back and see the field in a different way.”
It’s a rare opportunity to watch the game without playing during the season – especially so late in the year – but with the chance present, Williams felt it would benefit her team as it prepares for a daunting stretch of games.
Lewis and her ever-growing program have felt the full effects of a rebuild. Franklin (0-11-0) has only scored two goals all season long, but that hasn’t stopped it from heading into every game and leaving with its heads held high.
In her first year at the helm of the Tornadoes, Lewis has seen plenty of growth from her team — both in sheer roster numbers but also on the field, and their game against Kearsarge was no different.
“The girls don’t quit,” Lewis said. “They just come to play and come to get better. They work hard, they support each other and are a great group of girls to work with.”
Foundations are essential for success, and that’s what Franklin is going through this season. Once the Cougars began to leave the field, the game slowed down for Franklin and it only allowed two goals scored from the second quarter until the final horn.
Both teams walked away with a sense of purpose and direction. Kearsarge wants to continue winning games to create a rhythm heading into playoffs. Franklin wants to make the next step in becoming a competitive program. Each of them get their next opportunity later this week with games against Newport and Littleton, respectively.