By Julia Trost, staff writer
Competing for the county championship title, River Hill varsity field hockey lost to Glenelg by a score of 5-2 on Wednesday, October 21, bringing an end to the regular season. The Hawks now have their eyes set on state playoffs, which begin on October 28.
Entering county play with an 11-1 record, River Hill suffered their only loss to Glenelg on October 8. Glenelg lost to Marriotts Ridge on September 17, leaving River Hill and Glenelg tied for first.
Within the first few minutes of the first quarter, the Hawks secured numerous corners but were unable to take advantage of their opportunities. They later jumped to a 1-0 lead on a goal from junior midfielder, Maddie Vasilios. Glenelg acted promptly and came back from behind twice to tie the game. Both of the Hawks’ goals came from Vasilios.
Vishva Iyer, a senior midfielder, believes “there was a lot of pressure put on this game so some of our players might have been on edge, but I think we played really well and held out until the very end.”
River Hill won the county championship game last year during the abbreviated season. This year, field hockey was the only fall sport at River Hill that competed for a county championship. With a week before state playoffs, the Hawks hope to reflect on how they can grow while utilizing their extra practice time.
Jannah Nassar, a senior captain, is excited to “focus on our efforts and work really hard to make sure that we are prepared for states.”
The state championship game is set to occur on Saturday, November 13 at Washington College, the same day the Hawks clinched the state championship title in 2010.
Before each game, the Hawks chant, “I am thankful to compete. I am aggressive and relentless. I will never be afraid of losing or making a mistake. I will never give up.” No matter the loss, their mantra will forever motivate them to move forward and continue to improve.