Ambitious, Gritty, Exciting, Thrilling were the words used by the Spalding Varsity Field Hockey team to describe their season. When interviewing Coach Brady, she described this team as “FUN!” Last year, their regular season record was 8-1, winning the A conference championship title. This year, the team came back determined as ever, with a repeat regular season record of 8-1 and another shot at a championship. The team dominated over Saint Mary’s in the quarterfinals, fought for a double overtime shootout win in the semis against McDonough, and played well against tough competition in the IAAM Championships. Spalding Field Hockey has been in the IAAM A Conference playoffs multiple times so I interviewed a couple players and their legendary coach, Leslee Brady, to discover the secret to this team’s incredible success.

Junior Charlotte Bromley is a midfielder who has been playing field hockey for 10 years. Bromley said that one of the team’s greatest strengths is their “collaboration and teamwork” and that all the girls “always have each others’ backs.” 

Some key moments in the season included the win over Bryn Mawr. Despite injuries and bad weather, everyone ran on the field after the team won the semifinals at home. The team brings such great energy to every game and they have bonding as a team at practice and on bus rides home from games. 

Coach Brady, who has been coaching at Spalding for 26 years and has over 300 career wins, said the team has done a great job with setting and accomplishing their short term goals. Brady noted that there were so many standout players who brought a positive and hardworking attitude to the field every single day. 

Going into the season, the team hoped to “show everyone what Spalding Field Hockey is capable of.” As they look to next season, the young team hopes to keep a close bond among teammates and use their playoff experience to compete for another championship title. As next season approaches, the future looks bright for Spalding Field Hockey.