Charlie Breitrose
The 2015 Watertown High School field hockey team celebrates winning the state championship – the team’s seventh straight.
Along with the cheers of joy during the Watertown High School field hockey team’s championship celebration on Saturday, there was also some sighs of relief.
After beating Auburn in Worcester, both Head Coach Eileen Donahue and senior co-captain Michaela Antonellis mentioned they were so happy after “all they had gone through this year.” One reporter, who had not followed the Raiders so closely, wondered if some tragedy or off the field difficulty had befallen the team. No, it was just a season in the spotlight – setting a national record for longest unbeaten streak and winning another state title.
Donahue said neither she nor her players like to be the focus of media attention.
“It’s very uncomfortable for me, uncomfortable for them,” Donahue said. “All my teams and my coaches know all this success takes everyone. All the success we have had in the past – those teams made huge contributions. We are a small smidge of this. We know that.”
For those who did not know how far back Raiders’ history of success goes, the MIAA recognized the silver anniversary of the 1990 state champion Watertown field hockey team, which went undefeated and won the Raiders’ third state championship in a row.
Charlie Breitrose
Senior co-captain Ally McCall finished her Watertown field hockey career without ever losing.
While Donahue acknowledged the success of the Watertown 2015 team and the one from 25 years ago, she said she always focuses on the present.
“Every year is a new season,” Donahue said. “We try not to focus on pressure because you can’t control anything in the past, or the future – just what we are doing.”
The formula has been working. This year the Raiders never trailed in any game, and only let in one goal in a 7-1 win over Lincoln-Sudbury. Last year the Raiders finished without letting any goals.
Charlie Breitrose
Watertown sophomore Sydney Poulin will be one of the key returning players in 2016 for the Raiders.
The future looks promising for Watertown, despite losing an experienced group of seniors, including Antonellis, fellow co-captain Ally McCall, Mikayla Paone and Christa Knell. Grace Duguay and Leah Sutherland also made their contributions.
On Saturday, however, four of six goals came from players coming back next year – two from sophomore Maddie Leitner scored twice, and juniors Kourtney Kennedy and Olivia Venezia got one each. Other key returners will be sophomore Sydney Poulin, junior Aurora Fidler, freshman Gabby Venezia and sophomore goalie Jonna Kennedy.
Watertown won its seventh state title in a row, and the program’s 16th overall. The Raiders also won its eighth straight North Section title this year, the 23rd overall.
The most impressive streak, of course, is the Raiders’ national record 160 straight games unbeaten. They have another national mark in their sights – the winning streak of 106 by Oklahoma City’s Casady School. With the 6-0 win over Auburn in the final, Watertown has won 100 straight. Barring an upset, the Raiders will pass that early in the 2016 season.
Facts and Figures
State Championships: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015.
North Section Titles: 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015.
Last Loss: 3-2 vs. Hopkinton, 2008 state semifinal, Nov. 12, 2008 at Wayland High School.
Last Tie: 1-1 at Wilmington, Oct. 18, 2011.
Charlie Breitrose
Watertown co-captains Michaela Antonellis, left, and Ally McCall hoist the 2015 MIAA Div. 2 field hockey championship trophy in Worcester.