On Wednesday, Oct. 16, the Archie Williams girls varsity field hockey team took on the San Francisco University High School Red Devils at Redhill Field. The Falcons matched up with the University Red Devils at Red Hill field for one of their last games of their season. Archie Williams played hard, but in the end, University prevailed with a 8-0 win over the Falcons.
The Falcons started the first quarter with grit and displayed solid defense against the Red Devils. University got the first shot on goal in the third minute, which Archie Williams senior goalie Bailey Dillon blocked.
Archie Williams countered with a sequence of passes to get up the field, but weren’t able to score a goal. The Red Devils continued to press the Falcons’ defense with several shots on goal throughout the first quarter. University scored in the 11th minute as the quarter concluded with the Falcons down 1-0.
The second quarter started with University securing multiple shots within the first five minutes. Bailey kept the Falcons in the game with multiple saves, including a diving save in the fifth minute of the quarter. Archie Williams made an offensive push and started to gain more possession in the second quarter, keeping the ball from the Red Devils.
The Falcons held off University, keeping the Red Devils scoreless for the second quarter. Archie Williams sophomore and center midfielder Finley Heller applauded the team for their defensive effort.
“I think that we did really well hustling back on defense, especially in the first half,” Finley said.
University started the third quarter by scoring three goals, breaking down the Falcons’ defense. The Falcons fell behind on the scoreboard 5-0, which Archie Williams girls varsity field hockey head coach Michelle Boutwell partially attributes to the lack of communication on the field.
“I think we can improve on communication. Although it’s getting a lot better [throughout the season], we could talk a lot more out on the field and make it easier on our teammates,” Boutwell said.
The fourth and final quarter was a hard-fought battle between the two teams, but the Red Devils continued to maintain possession. The Falcons’ defense, already worn down from the previous quarters, could not slow down University’s passing. The Red Devils scored three times in the last quarter, resulting in a 8-0 final score.
“I think we need to enjoy these last couple of games… We really want to win against Marin Academy; that’s our main goal. As well, I think just increasing our passing ability and talking ability is really important,” Bailey said.
The Falcons look ahead to their next game Friday, Oct. 18, away against Marin Academy. With a 0-14 record, they have high hopes of winning their first game before their season comes to an end.
