WEST SPRINGFIELD — A fourth straight sectional championship eluded the Frontier field hockey team on Saturday. The second-seeded Red Hawks lost to No. 1 Longmeadow in the Class A championship game, 4-0, at Clark Field.
No. 2 Frontier (12-4-2) split a season series with the top-seeded Lancers (16-3). But a faster playing surface made Longmeadow even tougher to deal with on the turf at West Side.
“They are fast,” Frontier coach Missy Mahar said. “The turf really benefits them in their possession style passing. But I was very impressed with them tonight, they were very patient, and they waited for open lanes. Open offensive opportunities.”
The Red Hawks’ previous three championships were in Class C. This was the first season they had competed in Class A. Stiffer competition in sectional play can only mean better preparation for statewide tournament play starting this week.
“We were Class C, now we were bumped up two classes and in the top tier,” Mahar said. “These are the games you are going to see in the state tournament. They are going to be intense, they are going to be competitive. You are going to have to stay composed and play until the end.”
In the latest Division 4 power rankings, Frontier ranked No. 5 in the state. The MIAA releases the tournament brackets on Tuesday. A home playoff game in South Deerfield is imminent for the Red Hawks. The statewide tournament begins on Thursday.
Longmeadow scored 40 seconds into the game to take the quick lead. Frontier went into halftime trailing 1-0, but the Lancers pulled away with three goals in the second half.
“There are takeaways from games like this,” Mahar said. “Even though the girls lost four to zero, you can still take away that they played hard for 60 minutes and they lost to a very talented team. I think there are bits and pieces that we can take away from tonight’s game and apply it to our practice on Monday to prepare for the state tournament.”
The Lancers defense stymied the Red Hawks for the most part, but Addie Harrington initiated a lot of offense with speed through the Longmeadow midfield. But breaking through the Longmeadow defense proved challenging. Longmeadow currently sits at No. 7 in the Division 3 power rankings.
“They anticipated every pass,” Harrington said. “They were overall, quicker. They knew what to do when they had the ball.”
The team now sets its sights on the state tournament. Last season, the Red Hawks lost in the state semifinals to Uxbridge.
“We definitely need to work harder and focus on the little things,” Harrington said. “Playing defense in the circle or looking for the open player when they are available. Hopefully we can go far. We can host a couple home games. That will be an advantage.”
Longmeadow opened the scoring early in the first quarter when Jennifer Seeley scored on an assist from Giuliana Gauther. Molly Henshon scored in the third quarter for the Lancers, poking in a rebound near the goal and giving Longmeadow a 2-0 lead.
Later in the third, Henshon assisted on a goal by Christina Weeks to give Longmeadow a 3-0 lead. Seeley scored again in the fourth quarter, assisted by Kordelia Michalik. It was Longmeadow’s first Western Mass. championship since 2022.
Freshman keeper Brooke Charest made six saves for the Red Hawks.