After a 0-4 start, the varsity field hockey team turned their season around, winning the title of district champions after defeating Kettle Run 2-1 on Oct. 17. Following a Nov. 1 loss to Charlottesville, the team was named the regional runner-up for a second season, earning a trip to the state quarterfinals in Virginia Beach. In the first round of state play, the Falcons defeated Northhampton, 3-0 on Nov. 6. In the Nov. 9 semi-finals against three-time champion Tabb, Fauquier was eliminated from the state tournament, falling with a score of 8-0.
“It’s an unreal feeling to know that we were losing at first and still were able to make it that far,” sophomore Allie White said. “This year, we really got to see what it was like to be the underdog. We defied all predictions. We showed the other teams we weren’t about to give up, which shot us to the final four.”
The team’s accomplishments continued to pile up even after the season was over. The Falcons had 11 players named to the all-district team, as well as seven players named to the all-region team. White was named Evergreen District offensive player of the year, while senior Hailey Miller was named overall player of the year.
“When I found out I was [offensive player of the year], I was speechless,” White said. “Coach Settle told me that in her hockey experience, she has never heard of a sophomore being named player of the year, and I was most likely the first. I screamed a little bit.”
With a roster of only four seniors, White says the team will be ready to compete again next year.
“If this group of girls were all beginners and new to the game, I can’t wait to see what the next two years will be like,” White said.