SWAMPSCOTT — The Swampscott field hockey team (1-1) won its home opener Tuesday evening, pulling away in the second half for a 2-0 victory against Saugus (1-1).
It was not only a matchup between two Northeastern Conference squads, but also two first-year head coaches. Former Bishop Fenwick standout Lauren Wilkinson was on the sideline for the Big Blue, while Julie Champigny led the Sachems.
The game was scoreless at halftime, with Swampscott generating more chances, but unable to find the back of the cage. Saugus’ defense limited clean looks, something Champigny praised postgame.
“I’m so proud of how they played today,” she said. “They fought literally to that last corner at the end. Everybody did their job on the field and it was an awesome team effort.”
The deadlock broke with 4:44 remaining in the third quarter, when Lia Beatrice rifled home a shot for a 1-0 Swampscott lead.
“That was a great goal,” Wilkinson said. “Those were some skills we’ve been working on in practice, so to see that in a game – we’re really proud of her.”
Swampscott doubled its advantage early in the fourth, as Megan Baran set up Lila Giard for a tip-in.
“Tip-in goals are always fun to watch because it takes a team effort,” Wilkinson said. “Megan did a great job taking that shot, and for Lila to be there and see that pass — she did a great job finishing.”
Saugus had bright spots in the loss, particularly the play of Angelina Dow, who was active across the field.
“She’s a leader for us,” Champigny said. “Her skills are awesome and she brings it every single day. She’s able to send the ball upfield in a way we need, and she gets things going for us.”
Wilkinson said her team is still adjusting to a new formation, but liked her group’s energy after halftime.
“I think our team did a really good job with spacing on the field,” Wilkinson said. “We’re doing a new formation this year that they haven’t worked on before. We’ve been focusing on spacing, basic skills, and keeping the energy up. We started a little slow, but they brought it toward the end and I’m really proud of them.”
Both coaches said they’re enjoying their first seasons on the sideline.
“I’d like to say congratulations to their coach as well,” Champigny said. “It was a really fun game – I’ve been loving it. Saugus athletics is a lot of fun and Matt Serino has been a great AD. We’ve got a great group of girls, a lot of history and returners, and we’re excited to keep competing.”
“I’m absolutely loving it,” Wilkinson said. “I’m really lucky to have a great team with so many different personalities. They all bring something different to the team, which I really love.”
Swampscott hosts Peabody Thursday at 4:30 p.m., while Saugus welcomes Marblehead at 4 p.m. the same evening.
