Field hockey is a sport that continues to thrive in the Dedham area for both and , as proven Wednesday afternoon.
The two teams squared off on Lowder Street, with Dedham prevailing 2-0, despite a 10-minute delay due to thunder, and swarming mosquitoes.
“We had a lot of opportunities and we connected on some of them,” said Dedham captain Tara Celata.
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The Marauders (2-1) were able to get on the board in the first half when Marauders forward Laura Tavalone made a beautiful pass through the middle to Amanda Celata for the easy one-time shot in the back of the net at the 23rd minute.
“We played well,” said Dedham coach Erin MacDonald. “We are a turf team and coming to grass I think the girls were a little worried but they played well.”
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The Marauders utilized an aggressive offensive push to force numerous corners in both the first and second halves that created many opportunities at the net.
Ursuline senior goalie Casey Curtin made numerous diving saves in the second half including one on a penalty stroke that kept the Bears within striking distance.
“Casey was excellent,” said Ursuline coach Caitlin Chipman of her star goalie. "She is phenomenal.”
Curtin finished the game with eight saves with many of those saves being acrobatic in the second half when the Marauders were able to move the ball in front of the net.
“Offensively, we are pushing the ball up,” said MacDonald. “We are getting opportunities, we just have to finish them.”
Dedham added their second goal midway through the second half when Kerrianne Downing was able to get a loose ball over to Colleen Downing, who sent it home for the 2-0 final.
While the Bears struggled offensively, and fell to 0-2 overall, they displayed an aggressive defense and star goaltending. As they move on, coach Chipman hopes to improve on their transition game.
“We need to work on stopping the ball and being aggressive - transitioning up the field and getting into the other defensive zone,” said Chipman.
The Marauders have conference games ahead as they play Norwood, Natick and Framingham in the next couple weeks, and all three games will be a challenge for Dedham.
“We just need to finish our plays and if we can finish with all the opportunities we get,” said MacDonald. “We will definitely be competitive.”
For the Bears, Chipman is pleased with her team’s progress.
“We are playing more and more like a team - we are growing.”
