Girls Field Hockey Season

As it is halfway through the girl’s field hockey season, the players are hoping to build off  their success from last year and make it back to the state playoffs. The team is currently 5-6-1. The season began to improve rapidly with their recent game against Palmer Ridge ending in a 4-0 win.

The team is currently ranked as #6 in the state of Colorado. Their triumphs include beating Palmer Ridge twice, Saint Mary's Academy twice, and Cheyanne Mountain. The girls ended up tying Cherry Creek at a rivalry game (this was the team they lost to in the semi-finals last year). Another game to mention was against Colorado Academy, where East lost 1-2. This was the closest game that Colorado Academy has had, as they are ranked #1 in the state and #56 in the nation. 

The girls are being led by coach Clare Kavanagh, who played division 1 field hockey at Johns Hopkins University. This is her 6th year coaching at East; she uses her experience from the collegiate level to greatly influence her coaching style, emphasizing skill development, strategic thinking, and a strong work ethic. Her dedication to the team is evident, as she works tirelessly to help each player reach their potential and continuously shows them that they can achieve great things both on and off the field.

Community support has played a crucial role in the journey of this team. Family and  friends coming out to every game helps create a lively atmosphere that gives the players another reason to continue to work hard. Junior, Ainlsey Oliver, said; “It feels amazing to have our community behind us, their support gives us the extra push we need to continue to work hard.” It is evident that this is a common belief for all the players.

This girls field hockey team does wear the East colors, but is technically a DPS team. This means that many players on the team are not East students, such as one of the captains, Saide Sutton, a senior at South High School. Despite Sutton not being an Angel, she is welcomed to the team with open arms. Saide Sutton expressed, “I love how welcoming all the east girls are even though I don’t go here.” This sense of community and support is a testament to the team's spirit, making everyone feel included, regardless of where they come from. 

Player and captain, Sasha Pogaloff, has been on varsity since her sophomore year, and she is currently a senior. She models the true responsibilities of being on a team by giving her best effort to all she does. Pogoloff said, “The highlight of my season has been seeing how hard we work and how determined we all are. Every day we put in the energy to work as hard as we can, no matter how good the other teams are we all try our hardest at every game.” This is just one example of how dedicated this player is to the team. They want to not just win, but to play a good game. 

The girls have only two weeks left in their season and they will continue to push for their chance of winning state. With a strong team and a community that supports them, the team is ready to take on the remainder of their season with optimism and a strong work ethic.