CDDHS field hockey team celebrates first win of the season

Written By Chris Perrotte

Edin Prentice of the Centre Dufferin District High School (CDDHS) Royals field hockey team scored in the first half of a game against the Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute Spartans on Monday, Oct. 5. Her goal gave the Royals a 1-0 lead and ended up being the game winner.

The goal was the Royals' first of the season.

“We really needed that goal. We've been trying so hard, and I'm so happy we finally got one,” said Royals player Callie Reed.

The game against the Spartans was the Royals' second game of a doubleheader at Orangeville District Secondary School.

In the second half, CDDHS continued to pressure the Spartans offensively, creating good scoring chances but couldn't find the back of the net. The Royals also played a strong defensive game, limiting the Spartans' shots on goal.

Overall, the Royals played a well-rounded game to secure the victory.

“It felt amazing. We tried so hard in our practices. We've been working so hard for this, to get this goal, and we finally got it. We're all happy. It's a good win,” Edin Prentice enthused.

Their strong play was a carryover from their game one performance against the Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute Gaels earlier in the day. In that game, thanks to a good team defense, the Royals walked away with a 0-0 tie against the Gaels.

“Honestly, we played great defence, but took advantage of some great offensive pushes. Previously in the season, we have been on our heels every game, but this game we were able to get the ball up the field and attack them in their end. This helped to control the play and gave us a chance to force the play instead of reacting to them,” explained Drew Barfoot, head coach of the CDDHS Royals.

Going undefeated for the day helped to give the team a confidence boost heading into their future matches in the coming days and weeks.

“Basically, I think after this goal, it kind of got our energy up. We've been waiting for this goal for so long so now that we got a goal, I think it's just going to hype up the rest of the team and we're just gonna go forward from here and just get better,” said Prentice.

The Royals now sit in seventh place with a record of 1-3-2 (one win, three losses and two ties).