The Vikes are 2017 State runners-up. (Aden Weiser’19)
After beating Olentangy Liberty for the district title, Academy’s field hockey team was filled with energy as it entered the state tournament. The Vikes won its semi-final matchup but came up just short of their ultimate goal, as the girls lost in the finals.
The state semi-final game on Friday, November 3, was so momentous for the Vikes that the school had a bus full of fans travel to watch the game, with many more students driving themselves. Awaiting CA was a tough Shaker Heights team, the winner of the Gates Mill District.
The game started out with both teams fighting mercilessly for possession. Throughout the first half, the Raiders and the Vikings were evenly matched, and neither team held onto the ball long enough to score.
Twenty minutes into the second half, Academy finally broke the scoreless tie, as senior Maddie DeAscentis netted the first goal of the game. Immediately afterward, sophomore Kiersten Thomassey used the Vikings’ momentum and scored a goal of her own, sealing a win and sending CA to finals.
Though Vikings were elated to advance to the state finals, they were even more emboldened by the fact that their opponent was longtime rival, Thomas Worthington, who had clobbered Mount Notre Dame 7-1 to advance to the state finals. The Cardinals had completed an undefeated regular season and beaten the Vikings 2-1 along the way, so Academy knew it had to play flawlessly to win.
The Vikings and the Cardinals faced off on Saturday, November 4, with the state title hanging in the balance . At first, the Cardinals seemed to have the upper hand. Even though the Vikes were hanging close every step of the way, the Cardinals almost always seemed to have possession. With 11 minutes to go in the first half, goalie Alex Phelps’20 narrowly missed a shot from Thomas Worthington, making the score 1-0 in the Cardinals’ favor.
For the rest of the game, the Vikings desperately tried to score, but the Cardinals fended off Academy’s attack. With just 5 minutes left in the second half, Thomas Worthington’s goalie made an incredible save, preserving her team’s lead. The Cardinals hung on to win, edging the Vikings.
After the match, captain Maddie DeAscentis’18 said, “I feel great. I feel satisfied. We gave it our all, and our goal was to make it to the state game. We didn’t win, but that’s life.”
Although the Vikes fell short, they still had a tremendous season. Seniors DeAscentis, Olivia Ryan, Kelley-Marie Antoine, Angel Watkins, and Liana Shiroma will be missed, but the young talent on CA’s roster should have the Vikings competing for another state title next year.
