By Stella Cha
Staff Writer

After a difficult season, the field hockey team will be forced to compete in a lower league next year. The varsity

team finished last in its league with a 2-8-2 record.. The weakest team in the league is traditionally moved down

for the next season, so the field hockey team will transfer from the Mt. Hamilton division to the Santa Teresa

division.

“The way the field hockey league is divided up is by strength. The way that teams are moved up and down divisions is

based on how they finish in their division. Teams that come in last move down, and the teams that come in first move

up,” varsity field hockey Coach Geri Baldwin said.

While this news is upsetting for the team, many players feel that moving down a league next year may be a positive

thing. The team will be losing 12 seniors, including all 3 goalies. The younger athletes will have to step up to

replace these players. It would be very difficult to compensate for the loss of so many key players while remaining

in the same league.

“I am disappointed that we are moving down a league, but since we are losing about 12 seniors I think it will be

better for the team as a whole because we won’t have to work so hard to replace them,” junior Melanie Marquer said.
Moving down will help the team win more games and have a better chance to qualify for CCS, which it has qualified

for each season except this year. Baldwin hopes that the main focus for the team next year will be on maintaining

the movement and strength alignment that the team had this year.

Players like Melanie realize that continuing to play within the same league would be challenging due to the lack of

experienced incoming players. The burden of keeping up in the same league with only six returning varsity players

would be tiresome.

“It will be different because there will only be about six returning varsity players and we will have to get used to

playing with other people. I think we will also be able to build up our team again and try to get back into the top

league. No matter what we’re still going to have a great year,” Melanie said.

One of the disadvantages of moving down a league is that the team will not be able to compete against two of its big

name rivals, Saint Francis and Los Gatos.

The change will not directly affect seniors, but senior goalie Jessica Cruz feels that it will be an opportunity for

the team to rebuild and succeed.

“It is upsetting that we couldn’t have stayed in our league, but since the upcoming years will be major building

years, it’s probably for the best. I think that moving down a league would probably give them a chance to win a lot

more games and develop some confidence as a team,” Jessica said.

Although the team will compete in the lower league next year, it is not clear how long it will remain in that

league. The goals for next year are still the same, though moving back up is still a possibility.

However the possibility that the team may remain in a lower league after next year still remains as well.

“I hope that the team will be able to deal with losing so many seniors, and that they can form some of the same

bonds that we had this year,” Jessica said.