PEABODY — The Bishop Fenwick field hockey team capped off its 2020 season in stellar fashion over the weekend, notching a 3-1 win over Bishop Feehan to take home the title at the inaugural CCL Cup Saturday at Donaldson Stadium. With the win, the Crusaders close out the season at 6-3-2.
“With all the uncertainty coming into this year, we were just happy to get out and play, let alone compete for a title,” said Fenwick coach Marybeth Mahoney. “The girls just came out (Saturday) and played a full 60 minutes. We were able to put it all together.”
Arianna Costello led the offensive attack for Fenwick with two goals, while Grace Morey scored one goal. Kristina Rusha notched one assist, while goalkeeper Cat Elias played a solid game in net.
The game was deadlocked at 0-0 for most of the first half, with the two teams going back and forth to try and feel each other out. Fenwick was able to get on the board first when Rusha sent a pass through the middle to a waiting Costello, who got behind her defender, got a clean look at the net and buried the shot to give the Crusaders a 1-0 lead.
That score only lasted a few minutes, as Fenwick started to put on the pressure and get chances in the offensive zone. After a scramble in front of the net with just over three minutes to play in the half, Costello managed to get her stick on the back and knock it home for her second of the day. Fenwick took the 2-0 lead into the halftime break.
Feehan continued to battle hard in the second half, eventually cutting the deficit in half when Alyssa Boucher slipped one past Elias to make it 2-1 Fenwick with about five minutes to go in the third quarter.
But that wasn’t enough to push the momentum away from Fenwick. Despite Feehan intensifying its pressure throughout the fourth quarter, Fenwick’s defense held strong. And when Feehan really started pushing at the end of the fourth, the Crusaders took advantage when Morey stole the ball and took it all the way down field for a much-needed insurance goal to seal the win for Fenwick.
Fenwick now says goodbye to a strong group of seniors in Elias (captain), Rusha, Paige Littlehale (captain), Gwen Littlehale, Shannon Nagy and Leah Nardone.
“It’s such a fantastic group, and those are going to be some big shoes to fill,” Mahoney said of her seniors. “They worked hard all four years, they kept everyone focused and they never lost faith during this strange season.”
At the same time, the Crusaders are excited to return next year with an experienced group that will include Morey (captain) and Costello along with other strong contributors like Kailey Silva, Emma Perry, Rayne Millett and Emily McPhail, among others.
“We’re really excited about the group we have returning, there’s a lot of experience and also a lot of young talent we’re expecting to contribute,” said Mahoney. “If the girls go out and keep working hard this offseason, we should be able to hit the ground running next year.”
