Eastern District players savor return to games
NORFOLK — With the chill in the air, it felt just like hockey weather as the Eastern District kicked off its long-awaited season at Powhatan Field.
Monday marked the beginning of the public school field hockey season, something for which players and coaches have been waiting a long time.
“It gives you something to look forward to during the day besides sitting at home on Zoom,” said Maury’s Bella Schroeder about finally getting back onto the field. “You get to see everyone’s faces and not just black screens.”
Maury had a dominant outing
outing against Churchland in their season opener, earning a 6-0 victory as the Commodores were led by Schroeder and Emma Searing, who finished with two goals apiece.
Unlike Schroeder, most of the Commodores don’t participate in club field hockey, and while some participated in the fall league at the Regional Training Center in Virginia Beach, many are playing their first game since 2019.
“It’s fantastic,” Maury coach Meghan Stocks said. “… Being able to come out now and play a game in regulation, it’s mostly for the seniors. Half of their junior year got cut off and then they come into their senior year and they don’t get to do homecoming, they don’t get to have fall football games or basketball, any of the stereotypical fun things you get to do to end your high school career, so it’s been wonderful.”
Norview coach Mariah Stewart described being back on the field as a homecoming of sorts for her players, most of whom have been away from the sport since the VHSL shut down a year ago.
“I think more for the student than the athlete, it’s a sense of normalcy,” she said. “… It’s good to be back on the field. This is home for a lot of people, especially a lot of the athletes, being on a field. Being in a sports setting is home for them, and having that taken that away over the past year has definitely been hard.”
The Pilots earned a win in their first game of the season, gritting out a hard-fought 3-1 victory against Wilson. Mercedes Mattis had two goals and Taryn Williams also scored to lead Norview, while Samora Robinson had the goal for the Presidents.
Robinson, whose sister, Samyra, is the goaltender for Wilson, doesn’t play club hockey, and this game was her first taste of what she considers her favorite sport in more than a year. Both Samora and Samyra have been practicing at home, but with their sights set on college hockey, nothing can replace playing in actual games against actual opponents.
With just five returners and depleted numbers due to COVID19, the Presidents are largely inexperienced, but head coach Veronica Thompson says that they’re just as passionate about getting back on the field.
“They have been calling me (asking), ‘When are we coming back?’” she said. “… These girls are dedicated, and that’s all you need.”
Win or lose, Nevaeh Thompson is just glad to be back with the team that she calls her family.
“This is my favorite team. I play three sports: field hockey, track and soccer. This is the only sport that I am a team on,” she said. “Even in shot put, I’m good at that, but it’s not this. This is a bond.”