We accomplished some incredible things this year, and the level of play in that game was amazing.”

Senior captain Amy Labelle

A special group of seniors

The 2022 Barrington High School field hockey team did not win its final game, but for the players on the team, especially the seniors, the end of their season together was more painful than the loss itself. They all felt this team had a special bond that meant more than wins and losses.

“We’re the tightest group of girls,” said senior captain and star defender Amy Labelle. “We have been playing together for years, and we’re close friends on the field, off the field, in school. The level of trust between us is so high. We’re all really good friends.”

She continued, “We’re pretty much sisters. It comes to a point, during the season, where we’ve spent more time with each other than we have with our own families … It’s like these teammates are your family.”

The Eagles will have a core group of experienced players returning next year, but they say goodbye to a talented group of six seniors — Abby Martel, Peyton Whittet, Violet Gagliano, Emma Johnson and Caroline West, along with Labelle.

Johnson, a three-sport athlete at Barrington, agreed this group was special. “It’s the most close-knit team I’ve ever been part of. We’re all really good friends.”

The Barrington High School field hockey team’s 2022 season ended in excruciating fashion Tuesday night, Nov. 1, with a triple-overtime, shootout loss in the Division 1 state semifinals. The Eagles lost to their virtual doppelganger, the Avengers of East Greenwich.

The two teams were seeded second and third in the state tournament after compiling nearly identical records this year. They went 1-1 against each other this season. They went 1-1 against each other last season.

The Avengers have the best offense in the state (78 total goals). The Eagles have the best defense in the state (only 12 goals allowed all year).

Tuesday night’s game, played on the artificial turf at Cranston Stadium, started out promising for the Eagles. Though they were pinned in their end for the first few minutes of the game, they snuffed numerous East Greenwich chances before they finally broke out and crossed midfield. Now on the attack, Barrington sophomore Emma Mueller dribbled right across the top of the Avengers’ zone, spun back sharply in the other direction and slammed a backhand shot that pounded into the back of the cage. Barrington led 1-0.

The one-sided play continued for much of the second quarter as well, but the Barrington defense held and the teams went into halftime with the same score. Barrington again scored a quick goal in the opening minute of the second half off another Mueller shot from the top of the crease. This time, however, the ball flew into a crowd, and senior Emma Johnson slapped the ball into the goal for a 2-0 Barrington lead.

Avengers claw back

The 2-0 lead held for a while, but the Avengers got new life as the second half wore on. They were aided by a lopsided disparity in corners called by the referees — at least 30 for East Greenwich to 2 for Barrington over the course of the game. As the game wore on,  Barrington was pinned in its own end for long stretches.

“It felt like whenever we got the ball up the field, it did not stay up there long,” said senior defender and captain Abby Martel. “We definitely had the most corners-against in that game, that we’ve ever had. But we didn’t let one in, which was impressive.”

The Eagles defended every corner by swarming to the ball, knocking down shots and cutting off passing lanes. “It was honestly, incredible,” said the team’s other captain, Amy LaBelle. “They had to have at least 30 corners. We just kept our sticks on the ground, kept our eyes on the ball … The way we defended them was absolutely outstanding. Everyone was on their game.”

LaBelle talked about how this defensive unit is special. The girls have played together for years in both high school and in their club program. “We’ve worked together so much, we’ve learned to trust each other so much. The whole defensive line is about trust and communication,” LaBelle said.

However, the defense could hold for only so long. Midway through the third quarter, the Avengers got on the scoreboard, cutting the lead to 2-1. That remained the score when the fourth quarter began.

With nine minutes to go in the final quarter, Barrington broke free for a potentially game-changing attack. Pressing forward with numbers in their advantage, they suffered a turnover while charging down the right sideline, however, and the Avengers countered quickly. They slammed the ball back the other direction to East Greenwich senior Alex Mega, considered by many to be the best player in the state, who was standing alone with only goalie Maggie Despines to beat. Mega buried the equalizer, bringing the score to 2-2.

The final minutes of regulation tested the Barrington defense more than ever. East Greenwich dominated the play and kept the Eagles pinned, but the back line of seniors LaBelle and Martel, along with juniors Chloe Moscrop, Chelsea Duncan and goalie Despines, played brilliantly. They swarmed onto shooters, snuffed countless corners or swatted shots away from the goal. Regulation ended with the Eagles exhausted but clinging to life.

“It was by far the most exhausted I’ve ever been in a game in my life,” LaBelle said. “We were, all of us, exhausted.”

Two overtimes and a shootout

In the two 10-minute, sudden-death overtime periods, each team played with seven field players plus a goalie, leading to wide open lanes and back-and-forth play. East Greenwich had a brilliant chance to end the game early, when Mega broke free for a clean breakaway in the first overtime period. Despines, playing the game of her life, charged out and kicked the ball off Mega’s stick, temporarily saving Barrington’s season.

“She had the best game of her season,” Martel said of her goalie.

The Eagles had two of their own brilliant chances to win the game in overtime, keyed by seniors Violet Gagliano and Peyton Whittet. On one attack, the two passed crisply through the Avengers’ defense, but the final shot missed left. On another, Gagliano singlehandedly dribbled past five defenders and the goalie but couldn’t get enough wood on the shot and it slid wide by inches.

After two scoreless periods, the teams went to a shootout. Each team had five shooters. Emma Mueller scored Barrington’s lone goal in the shootout, which included a seemingly blown call against the Eagles. Shooting second, Whittet appeared to to beat the goalie to the left, but the Avengers’ netminder dove and flailed after her. Whittet fell to the turf, but the referee held his whistle.

After the Avengers scored their second goal of the shootout, the season came down to Barrington’s final shooter, LaBelle, who had one shot blocked, tried to recover, but lost the ball out of bounds. The Avengers swarmed their goalie in jubilation, and the Eagles limped off the field in tears.

For the seniors who were freshmen three years ago, it was deja vu all over again. In the 2019 state tournament, the Eagles also lost to the Avengers in a shootout in the state semifinals.

“The end was very frustrating,” said Martel. “This was the most hard-fought game we had all season.”

LaBelle talked about all the team accomplished during the year, including a 13-2-1 record and conceding the fewest goals in the state. Plus, they played in one of the most thrilling high school field hockey games one could imagine.

“The game was all over the news,” LaBelle said. “In school the next day, teachers and students were coming up to us and telling us how amazing the game was. We accomplished some incredible things this year, and the level of play in that game was amazing.”