Charlie Breitrose
Watertown senior co-captain Kourtney Kennedy will try to lead the Raiders to an eighth straight State Championship Saturday against Oakmont.
After facing Auburn the past few years in the Div. 2 field hockey State Final, Watertown will have a different foe – Oakmont.
Those who have have followed the Raiders over the years will recall, however, that Oakmont has been Watertown’s opponent in the final in the past.
The last time the two teams met, 2012, the Raiders won 1-0. The previous year, Watertown came away with the 3-1 victory. That was the last time the opponent scored against the Raiders in the State Final, and the only time in the current streak of seven titles.
Get live from the State Final here beginning at 11 a.m.:
10:50 am: Perfect day for a State Final. Sunny and warm in Worcester. Game starts in about 10 minutes.
First Half
30 mins left, here we go!
28:50 Oakmont player sits after fouling Kourtney Kennedy
27 mins left, Watertown survives a couple Oakmont corners. 0-0
25:12 left. Kourtney Kennedy scores on pass from Maddie Leitner off Raiders’ first corner. 1-0 Watertown
20 mins left, Watertown leads 1-0
18:09 left, Oakmont’s Cassidy Driscoll hits upper corner from way out to tie game 1-1. Assist to Taylor Ladue. Spartans had another grear chance a minute later but missed.
9:33 left, Oakmont playing physical and has more control of the ball than most of Watertown’s opponents.
2:40 left, Maddie Leitner tips in a rebound after Sydney Poulin shot it from the top of the circle on a corner. 2-1 Watertown.
Halftime
Oakmont came to play and do not seem intimidated by Watertown’s reputation. The Spartans also brought a raucous crowd.
Watertown did not panic under pressure and have converted twice on corners. Action begins in 2 minutes.
Second Half
30 mins left, Game on. We will see what Coach Eileen Donahue told the Raiders at half.
28:38 left, quick strike off a corner by Gabby Venezia makes it 3-1 Watertown.
Assist by Poulin.
22:08 left, Oakmont scores aoff a rebound. 3-2 Watertown. Raiders call timeout.
Goal scored by Driscoll assist to Rachel Lemay.
17 minutes left, teams trade corners but no scores. 3-2 Watertown
10:58 left, Oakmont ties it up 3-3 on a roubound off a corner. Timeout.
Goal by Sarah Craig, assisted by Taylor Ladue
8:48 left, Kennedy takes it into her own hands, dribbles into the circle and blasts one in to make it 4-3 Watertown.
Poulin got the assist.
5 minutes left, Timeout Oakmont after Raiders continue to press on offense.
4 minutes left, Raiders working down the clock playing keep away.
Game over. Watertown 4, Oakmont 3.
Roads to the Final
Oakmont (16-4-1) started the tournament as the third seed in the Central Section, but reached the Central Final after beating Northbridge 4-0, Bromfield 6-0 and Lunenberg 1-0.
In the section final, Oakmont defeated top seed Quaboag 5-1. They then beat previously undefeated West champion Greenfield 4-1 in the state semifinal.
The Raiders have accumulated an undefeated record of 22-0, and have a 122 game winning streak and a 182 game unbeaten streak. Watertown started its state tourney campaign with a 6-1 win over Weston, then the Raiders beat Triton 6-0 to make the North Final.
The Raiders beat a pesky Ipswich team 3-1 to claim the team’s 9th straight North Section title. On Wednesday, Watertown blew past Foxborough 5-1 in the Eastern Mass Final.
Saturday, Watertown and Oakmont face off for the State Championship at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) at 11 a.m.
Watertown has won 16 state championships, and the Raiders have a record of 16-2 in state finals. Oakmont seeks its first state title.
Watertown Field Hockey State Final History
2015 Watertown 6, Auburn 0
2014 Watertown 5, Auburn 0
2013 Watertown 1, Auburn 0
2012 Watertown 1, Oakmont 0
2011 Watertown 3, Oakmont 1
2010 Watertown 1, Auburn 0
2009 Watertown 1, Auburn 0
2002 Watertown 2, Greenfield 1
2001 Watertown 3, Nipmuc 2 (OT)
1999 Greenfield 2, Watertown 1 (OT)
1997 Watertown 2, Greenfield 1 (2OT)
1996 Bellingham 4, Watertown 3
1994 Watertown 5, Quaboag 0
1992 Watertown 3, Nauset 1
1990 Watertown 2, Bellingham 1 (OT)
1989 Watertown 5, Sandwich 0
1988 Watertown 1, Quaboag 0
1986 Watertown 2, Milton 1