WATERTOWN — Going into Tuesday’s Sweet 16 field hockey matchup between No. 17 St. Mary’s and No. 1 Watertown, all the odds were stacked against the visiting Spartans.
Watertown, a perennial powerhouse entering with a 71-game win streak, hasn’t conceded a goal in 38 games.
Four quarters later, it extended both streaks, winning 5-0.
Despite exiting the tournament, head coach Victoria Ault was proud of her team.
“I’m proud of my girls,” she said. “We came out tough. It’s not easy to come out here against a team that’s on that long of a winning streak. They’ve beaten every team by seven goals or more. Our mission was to hold them and try to score a goal. We had our chances.”
Watertown scored three goals in the first quarter before taking a 4-0 lead into the break. Despite being down, St. Mary’s made it hard for the Raiders, making them earn every goal.
“For a fifth-year program, to take on a team like that – while going up a division – and have the success we did, I have to credit our senior leadership,” Ault said. “Our seniors showed up to play today and, in my opinion, no team has given it to them like that before.”
Watertown found the back of the net again in the third quarter to make it 5-0, the eventual final scoreline.
After the game, Ault praised her players’ hard work.
“I want to give a shoutout to MacKenzie Petillo, my sweeper, and Gianna Tringale (14 saves). They really held it down back there,” Ault said. “Regan Sullivan: she did her thing today on the field and Abby Lowe, who has been one of our best defensive players, was hurt, but kept the energy going on the sidelines.”
“Shelby Racki and Kasey Litwin both tried to push on offense,” Ault said. “I’m proud of all of them. Everyone did a great job today.”
Ault admits that coaching high school girls isn’t the easiest, but feels “blessed” with her group.
“Coaching high school girls isn’t easy. Managing friendships, girl drama, and all that stuff, but I’ve been blessed with probably the best group I have ever had,” Ault said. “They really got along on and off the field, which made my job a lot easier. They showed up every day and worked hard. I’m excited for our future with some talented players coming back.”
The Spartans graduate six seniors.
“They’re a special group. We’re only a fifth-year program, so they’ve been around since the start,” Ault said. “I told them that I’ve probably been the hardest on them, pushing them and challenging them every day to try and make them the leaders they are today.”
When asked what she’s going to miss most about the group, Ault was quick to say “our van rides.”
“On our way here, the song ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ came on and from me to the youngest girl on our team, we just started singing,” Ault said. “They just had great energy and I’ll miss their energy, positivity, and hard work.”
