NEWPORT — The first strike toward 2022 Sugar River field hockey supremacy went to Newport High on Monday.
The Tigers, 6-0 victors over neighboring rival Stevens, avenged last fall’s one-goal NHIAA Division III playoff loss to the Cardinals. Taylor Fellows produced a hat trick for Newport, and the visitors received single tallies from Maddy Norris, Katie Sharron and Maddox Lovely as well.
The score would have been decidedly more lopsided if not for Stevens goaltender Ashley Michaud, who made 17 saves after entering to begin the third quarter. A second-year field hockey player who’s previously competed in soccer and softball, the senior was outstanding as the Tigers piled up 23 shots during the game.
“We’ll go back to the drawing board and work on some things,” said 20th-year Stevens coach Patty Deschaine, whose roster includes eight freshmen, three of whom start, and only three seniors.
“We didn’t have any (preseason) scrimmages, and we’re a little bit young. There was definitely some ball-watching.”
Stevens reached the Division III final last season but struggled mightily to clear its own end during its first game since. Newport speedsters Fellows and Sharron fueled a blink-of-the-eye transition game, and the Tigers, who beat Hopkinton, 9-2, in their season opener, improved to 2-0.
Newport coach Shannon Martin is also the school’s sixth-year principal and a 2001 Stevens graduate who played for the Cardinals. Previously a Newport High science teacher, she coached the field hockey team from 2008-14 before leaving to work at Vermont’s Black River High.
“I have a great administrative team in the building that makes my doing this possible,” said Martin, who stepped in after Kaitlynn Porter’s two-year head coaching tenure. “I’m still trying to figure out how to make it all work. It’s a little tricky.”
Martin said the Tigers had a different culture during her previous stint in the job.
“We had 30 girls in the program and we did double sessions during preseason, and if you played field hockey, it was in your blood,” she said. “This is a smaller team, and the girls are involved in more than field hockey. We’re getting to learn about each other, and I think we’re meeting in the middle.”
— Tris Wykes
HANOVER — The Bears surrendered the NHIAA Division I match’s lone goal during the 15th minute. Gaurey Mahrajan tallied for the visitors, who reached the state semifinals last fall. The Titans (1-1-0) rode strong goaltending by Geo Quintana.
Hanover (0-1-0), which lost last season’s D-I championship game on penalty kicks, visits Bedford on Friday.
WEST CANAAN — James Thomas and Zach Thompson each had a hat trick and the latter added two assists during the Royals’ season opener. Tanner Moulton added a goal and three assists, and Aidan Smith had a goal and an assist.
Mascoma visits Hopkinton (0-1) on Tuesday.
CONCORD — Stevens sophomore Ian Gersberg shot a career-best 43 at Beaver Meadow Golf Course. Cedric Allen shot 50 and Aubree Herzog and Justin Demers each shot 54.
Team scores:Pelham 83, Bishop Brady 59, Stevens 51, John Stark 48.