Field Hockey beat Hotchkiss 2-0 in the NEPSAC Class A quarterfinals. Facing a pivotal game in their season, the team hoped to remain composed.

“We play best when we’re having fun,” Captain Addy Keaveney (Class I) said. “We know there’s a lot on the line, but we don’t put that pressure on ourselves.”

The Dawgs wanted to go into this game not worrying about the other team and just playing their own game.

Captain Maddie Jaeger (Class I) said, “Nameless faceless is a quote we say … As long as we play our hockey, our version of the game, we could really beat any team.”

The team’s efforts to keep their cool came through immediately as forward Bea Trinque (Class I) scored within the first minute.

Going into the game, the Dawgs had a lot of focus on their defense.

Keaveney said, “Defense has been really stepping it up in games.”

The defense, along with their goaltender Rachel Train (Class II), did not disappoint, as they held the Bearcats to zero goals throughout the game.

In the fourth quarter, Jaeger scored with about five minutes left in the game.

“A big mentality for us has been working on tipping, and that’s what I’ve been doing when I’m at the top taking shots,” Jaeger said. “I saw the ball coming towards me, it was in the air, and I was able to stop it and then hit it off the bounce.”

Preparation for the game was difficult due to shorter practices after daylight savings.

Keaveney said, “We’re trying to focus on just being really efficient and working hard for the time that we have.”

After this big win, Nobles is set to play Andover, the No. 2 seed, on Saturday in hopes of advancing to the NEPSAC Class A final on Sunday.

“We’ve been talking about starting fast, and that’s what we did today,” Jaeger said. “If we start fast with Andover, we have a really good chance against them.”