Martlets Fall in NEPSAC Semis

The #6 seeded Martlets made the trip to #2 Phillips Andover for the NEPSAC Class A semifinal matchup. Westminster played with a spark from the first whistle, stepping to every 50/50 ball, cutting down passing lanes, and marking tightly on defense. The two teams battled to a scoreless first quarter, and Westminster felt good about the energy they had on the field and the chances they were creating. Margaret Dilks ’23, Margee Mahoney ’23, and Allysen Whitehead ’24 shined in the defensive end, working tirelessly  to shut down their defensive assignments and stop any momentum Andover was looking for. The second quarter saw more looks to cage for both teams, and Westminster’s defensive penalty corner unit was phenomenal once again, stopping a series of Andover attempts at the net to keep the game knotted at 0-0. Westminster earned three straight corners of their own to close out the first half, with their best chance coming on the final attempt when the Martlets executed the set piece perfectly, but missed putting the ball into the back of the net on the back post by inches. At halftime, Westminster knew this was a fantastic back-and-forth field hockey game to be a part of and they were playing their best field hockey of the season, but the next thirty minutes would need even more from them. Andover set the tone for an exciting third quarter quickly, springing their top forward on a breakaway just a minute in to break the tie and earn a 1-0 lead. Westminster did not deflate and continued to battle. Andover scored again halfway through the quarter on a broken penalty corner, but the Martlets answered with five minutes on the clock with one of their own to make the score 2-1. Olivia Gordon ’24, playing key roles in both the attacking and defensive penalty corner units, put Westminster on the board when Hadley Crowther ’25 possessed a rebound in front after the Andover keeper saved the initial attempt, and slipped the ball to Gordon in front of the goalie who spun around and shot the ball between the keeper’s pads. The next few minutes saw Westminster take a few offensive chances, and just after the Martlets found a break up field finishing with a shot just wide that almost tied the game at 2-2, Andover quickly took advantage of a defensive lapse down the other end and put one in with two minutes left in the third to make it a 3-1 game instead. Westminster knew they were down but not out, and were ready to battle in the fourth  just as they have done all season. Westminster’s defense held strong in the back and  the attack tried to take every chance they could to get within one. Halfway through the final frame, Westminster pulled a defender to add more offensive pressure, and the Martlets had several chances to pull within one. As the Martlets gave it everything they had on the offensive side of the field to keep their season alive for one more day, Andover possessed the ball smartly and moved down field to capitalize on the shortened defensive end with 1:10 left on the clock to make the final score 4-1. It was a back and forth game by two fantastic teams, with Andover capitalizing on their chances to earn the win and a spot in the NEPSAC final. Westminster is very proud of their effort today and all season, doing absolutely everything they could to get better every day and make the most of their time together this fall. A very big thank you to the class of 2023 who left it all out on the field today. To the parents and supporters of Westminster Field Hockey, thank you for another fantastic season supporting the black and gold!