Published in the November 6, 2015 edition
SENIOR MEMBERS of the Melrose Lady Raider field hockey team were honored on Senior Night on October 23 before their 4-1 win over Stoneham. Honored were (from left): Haley Maté, Emily Donovan, Maura Pelrine, Lindsey Chase, and Jessica Doherty. (Donna Larsson photo)
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE — It’s going to be a memorable day on Nov. 16 for members of the Melrose Lady Raider field hockey team, who have earned a distinguished award from the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. The Lady Raiders are the recipient of the 2015 MIAA Sportsmanship and Leadership Award and members of the team and their coaches will be accepting the award on Nov. 16.
“It’s recognition by officials and leaders in the MIAA on our sportsmanship, leadership and our presence on and off the field,” confirms head coach Lindsay Shanahan. “This includes improvement in the sport over the years. We were very excited.”
The team ended their season on Friday, Oct. 23 with a home victory against Stoneham, 4-1. Melrose’s Julia McLaughlin scored twice for the Lady Raiders. On that evening the team honored their outgoing seniors: Haley Maté, Maura Pelrine, Lindsey Chase, Jessica Doherty and Emily Donovan.
While the team did not earn enough wins for playoff contention, they did show marked improvement over the season. According to their coach, concentrating on teamwork helped turn the key in certain elements of the game. “We worked a lot on being a team. We did a lot of activities/drills that allowed us to trust in our teammates. This translated onto the field and allowed us to communicate more effectively with each other on the field. More specifically this helped with our defense being able to communicate and recover,” says Shanahan.
Leading Melrose in scoring this season was Julia McLaughlin, who was aided from many assists by senior Emily Donovan. Melrose fought to a number of wins and ties this season but find the most satisfying their victory against Wakefield on Sept. 25. “It’s always good to beat your rival,” confirms the coach.
Overall, the coach also credits her seniors for their work this season. “I am so proud of the work this senior class has put in. They were a great group of girls that have worked extremely hard to command the field and their team. They were excellent leaders both on and off the field – and they were the driving force behind the Leadership award we received from the MIAA.”
