Carle Place Varsity Field Hockey

By Alexis Ruiz and Giana McKeough

      With 7 seniors on our team, our ultimate goal from the beginning of the season was to go all the way to states. This year states was held in Buffalo, we knew it would be very cold and a very long ride but we knew it was our last chance to win a State title. Our team achieved the goal by having a great season and winning both our county final game and long Island game and before you knew it we were on our way Buffalo.  On Thursday, November 8th, right after school we started our 9 hour bus ride. The next day we had practice on a field nearby the hotel, and the field was covered in snow. After practice we were able to go to Niagara Falls as a team which was an amazing experience for all of us. The next day was game day, we were playing Barker High School in 17 degree weather with winds at 35 miles per hour. We were all very nervous going into the game, because we had to win this game to make it to the state finals. We did not want to make our way back home yet! We defeated Barker 5-0 which meant we were going to have to play Whitney Point who have won five state titles in a row. Sunday, November 11, at 3 we walked onto the field to play our rivals. Even though played our hearts, with tears, frozen fingers and stinging faces, we ended up losing the game 3-0. However, it isn’t always about winning and losing. Our team was a family and our memories we created throughout the years will last a lifetime. From long practices, preseasons, pasta parties, games, traditions and everything in between and the amount of trust we had in each other goes beyond saying that there isn’t that we cannot accomplish together.