By Dominic Rapposelli
Business and Distribution Manager
Washington College field hockey faced elimination from post-season contention following a 2-1 loss versus Swarthmore.
WC did not get onto the board until the final minute, when freshman Ashley Swan added her second career goal off a pass from senior Alexis Tackney.
The Shorewomen’s season finale against Gettysburg began with senior day proceedings, where the team honored Tackney as well as the other two seniors Ellie Bossi and Kate Gromacki. The team voted Tackney and Gromacki as captains going into their final season with the program.
“Being voted captain for my last year has also been amazing. It meant a lot to me that my team voted me as one of the leaders and pushed me to work even harder for my teammates,” Tackney said.
All three seniors were a part of the team through their four years at WC, making contributions to the program through their time.
“I’m very grateful for my time on WCFH, it’s such a privilege in general to play college sports and to be a part of such a close-knit community of female athletes. It’s given me so much opportunity to grow in my sport but also as a leader and as a person,” Gromacki said.
Through four years, the seniors were key contributors to the field hockey program as well as the lacrosse team, which Tackney and Bossi are also a part of.
“For me, being a part of this team for 4 years has meant much more than I would have ever thought. This team is so much more than girls who play field hockey, we are a big family. I look at each player as a sister now,” Bossi said.
The Shorewomen honored their seniors with a season finale victory over the visiting Gettysburg Bullets. First year head coach Alex Calder was also able to take down her alma mater in the victory as she played field hockey for the Bullets with her final collegiate goal coming in a matchup versus WC.
A strong third quarter led to the Shorewomen victory with sophomores MaryCate Anson and Samantha McMahon scoring within 42 seconds of each other in the periods opening five minutes.
Tackney got the assist on Anson’s goal while sophomore Brynn Balliet helped McMahon. Having young players make their mark on games is a positive for the team moving forward as they can acclimate to bigger roles in future seasons.
“We have a very young team and have so much potential for the next few years. I can’t wait to see what amazing things this team will accomplish in the future,” Bossi said.
Balliet finished the season with a team leading seven goals and a pair of assists with McMahon finishing second in goals with four featuring an assist.
“I think an important lesson the team can take away in our upcoming final game is to never give up, no matter what the outcome is. No matter what team we play, what rank they are, or any other outside factors, we have to focus on our game and what we can control,” Tackney said.
The team will take the victory into the offseason as they end their streak of two consecutive years with postseason berths.
The Shorewomen finished the season 8-9 overall and 4-6 in Centennial Conference play.
Photo Caption: Senior Captain Alexis Tackney advances the ball at a WC field hockey home game.
Photo courtesy of WC Athletics