The run to be back-to-back state champs came to an end Monday night for Manual’s field hockey team.   The  semi-final match featured Manual and Sacred Heart which was a rematch of last year’s final. However, this year SHA came out on top 6-0.

SHA came out ready to play from the start. SHA scored the first goal of the game with 22 minutes left in the first half and never slowed down. “I think they just generally wanted it more this year, they were out for blood,” said Kelsi White (12).

SHA scored just a minute and a half later and then one more to end the half up 3-0.  Manual’s team was down on the scoreboard but not down on themselves. “I personally thought we could still do it. If we really buckled down on defense and kept pushing the ball forward into the circle, we could have made a come back,” said White.

Sacred Heart showed they were not going to let Manual come back at all. They came out just as strong in the second half, scoring three more goals to make the final score 6-0 and advance to the state final.

Manual players were upset about the loss, but felt they gave it their all. “I left everything on the field. There was nothing else I could physically do, we had to work hard as a team and we didn’t click in time,” said Hayley Barker (11).

Photos of the game coming soon.