SWR looks to build on field hockey success

The Shoreham-Wading River field hockey team has been quietly building a winner over the years. Two years ago, the team went 9-6. Last year, they improved to 14-3 and won their first playoff game in over a decade. Most of that team from two years ago is still playing today — and they’re ready to declare that this year is their year.

Former coach Kim Hannigan stepped aside this year because she wanted to spend more time with her family and JV coach Zoe Norton was promoted to varsity. Norton actually played for Hannigan for five years during her athletic career so their play styles are very similar, which has made for a seamless transition.

Norton has also been JV coach at SWR for five years. Her resume speaks for itself; she’s more than qualified for the job. She was a twotime All-State selection for Sayville High School. Then she played collegiately at Molloy College, where she led the team in scoring for multiple years. After college, she ended up playing professionally in New York for the Big Apple Hockey Club and then in England for the Leicester City Hockey Club. She still plays for the Puerto Rico national team today. Needless to say, the girls have responded to her coaching.

Following Shoreham-Wading River’s 6-0 victory over West Islip on Tuesday, the Wildcats have now posted a flawless 6-0 record without giving up a single goal.

“We have such a strong team returning this year and honestly they work so hard every day,” Norton said. “We’re really a family out there. They all have been playing with each other for so many years so they all trust each other out there.”

The Wildcats have been led by sophomore phenom Madison Herr, who has been on the team since eighth grade and makes an impact on the game every time the ball touches her stick. She scored three goals Tuesday in front of the home fans at Shoreham-Wading River High School and also assisted on the final goal of the game scored by Alessia Olivio. With seven goals and seven assists so far this season, Herr currently ranks second on Long Island in points.

“It really starts with how good our midfield play is,” Herr said. “They’re the ones that give me an opportunity to score. Our team chemistry is so strong and our senior class has been a big part of our success. Us younger girls want to keep winning for them and we hope that this is our year to do something big.”

Kaitlynn Monaghan who plays the opposite wing to Herr has also been scoring in bunches, giving the Wildcats an epic 1-2 punch at the front. Monaghan has scored eight goals this season so far.

But the real story is the fact that the opposing team can rarely get past the midfield line. Haylie Abrams, one of the team’s captains, constantly hounds any opponents heading the other way and, more often than not, comes up with the ball and finds a streaking offensive player into an instant attack.

“When we first all got together we were all really young,” Abrams said. “Every year we got better. This year we’re so confident in what we can do. Last year we showed that we can win a playoff game. This year we hope to go much further. From offense to defense everything has been clicking so far this season.”

Shoreham-Wading River’s goalie, Maggie Anderson, who made a ton of impressive stops in last year’s playoff victory also returns. She just hasn’t had much to stop this year, needing to save only 12 shots in the six games played. The game is controlled in the midfield with talent and experience.

“Winning in field hockey usually comes down to one thing and that’s simply working harder than the other team,” Norton said. “Coming from me, it’s been the same in every level I’ve played in my career. The team that wants it more usually wins. But we also have so much talent on this team and I’ve been implementing everything I’ve learned over the years into them. We’re getting better every game we play and if we keep our intensity throughout the season, we shouldn’t be talking about winning a playoff game. We should be talking about winning the county or heading to states. That’s the talent level we have on this team.”