SAUGUS — The Saugus field hockey team welcomed Beverly in a Northeastern Conference matchup on Tuesday. Despite a solid opening quarter from the hosts, the Panthers left Serino Field with a 7-0 win.
Although the scoreboard wasn’t too flattering for Saugus, there were players who stood out. Goalie Jordyn Ripley-Deminski kept the scoreline down and pulled off some stellar point-blank saves, according to Saugus coach Barbara Guarente.
“My goalie was outstanding today. I love how she plays, running from side to side,” Guarente said. “Without her, it would probably have been more like 15-0. She was a huge positive today.”
Saugus’ defense played well and was well-positioned for the opening 11:30 minutes, making it difficult for Beverly to find chances around the net. However, with around four minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Panthers executed a counterattack and scored the all-important first goal.
“I thought, at the start, we did really well. I was excited that it was a back-and-forth game. It was looking like it was going to be a good game,” Guarente said. “After the 12 minutes and they scored, they started to fall apart a bit. I do think the back-to-back kills us and we were losing our positioning. Yesterday, our positioning went really well. We stayed in the lines that we wanted and passed the ball. Today, we didn’t have an opportunity to show it. We didn’t pass the ball well and didn’t have cutters cut in front of double teams.”
The Panthers added two more goals to close out the first quarter – one that ended 3-0. Saugus held Beverly to just one goal in the second quarter, but fatigue started to kick in.
“It’s not ideal for us to play back-to-back games because we don’t have subs,” Guarente said. “I don’t know how much I can ask from my team since we only have 11 players.”
Despite the small roster that’s underclassmen-heavy, Guarente was proud of her team’s improvement.
“Since the beginning, all of the players have improved immensely. Like the old saying, ‘We couldn’t walk and chew gum.’ That was us at the beginning,” she said. “Now, they’re moving the ball around and getting more confident with each game that they play. They were petrified to play in the first game since a lot of them are 8th graders, but now, they have a couple of games under their belts and they’re realizing they can handle it.”
In the second half, Beverly added goals in both quarters to walk away victorious. Despite the loss, Guarente remained a happy coach.
“Their skill-work has improved a lot. It may not be up to a level where junior and senior teams are, but with the great attitude they have to themselves and their teammates, I think it’s helping them a lot to get to that level,” she said. “The team loves being together. They talk about being a family all the time and I do believe they love being with each other all the time.”
When asked what she would like to see from her team moving forward – and what she hopes it can accomplish by the end of the season – she pointed to fluidity and positioning.
“I would love for it to click in their heads where they need to be, and have some freedom within their positions. I want them to get to a point where they are comfortable switching positions, so if one person goes on the attack, someone fills in for them as they make their way upfield,” Guarente said.
Saugus travels to face Masconomet at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
