Having no feeder program in the town of Grafton the high school field hockey team has suffered over the years. Last fall the Gators found themselves just above .500 with a 9-7-2 record, which although got them into the Division2 State Tournament, found the team losing in the first round 3-0 to Longmeadow. 

Grafton varsity coach Melissa Aiksnoras wanted to change all that. Entering her fifth season with Grafton she was looking to get some type of feeder program developed and while the town was all for it – no one stepped up to take the reigns and get the program kicked off. 

“There was interest. It was non-negotiable for me having a nine-year-old daughter, who along with her friends all wanted to play field hockey,” the coach said. “I wanted to give the girls another option outside of soccer.”

This fall with the blessing of Athletic Director Ashley Paulsen, Grafton will not only begin a youth field hockey program, but they will also field a middle school team for the very first time. According to Aiksnoras, 65 girls have currently signed up for the youth program which allows them to field four teams this fall. The interest also bodes very well for the future of Grafton field hockey even if only a portion of the girls continue to take part in the sport. 

“The outcome was much more than I expected,” Aiksnoras said. “I guess it shows there is a lot of interest with giving the sport a try.”
The start of the program is coming at a good time as Grafton will be transitioning from the Southern Worcester County League (SWCL) to the Mid Wach A, a new league looking at making things more balanced within Central Massachusetts high school sports. If Grafton is to grow their program they need to provide the girls the ability to experience the sport and grow with it.

As the new high school season begins to get underway Grafton will only find themselves with two seniors on its rosters. Both girls are relatively new to the sport but have shown they can be not only great teammates but are willing to work hard to improve their craft. At this point of their careers, Aiksnoras is not sure what the seniors will be able to accomplish this fall but has no concerns about sending them onto the field.

Being sent into a new league with a lot of new teams on their slate, how Grafton does will all come down to who rises up to make the team better. One individual the coach is confident will bring her A game will be sophomore forward Addie McGrath, one of the team’s three captains named by her teammates.

McGrath is a three-sport athlete (field hockey, basketball and lacrosse); she was named a rising star in all three sports last year as a freshman. Playing for Aiksnoras last year she was the team’s second leading scorer.

“Addie is a strong, all-around athlete and I will be very surprised if she’s not among the leaders in scoring again this year,” Aiksnoras said. “She has set big goals for herself, is very determined and hard on herself. If she makes a mistake, we know we don’t have to talk to her she’ll fix the problem on her own; she is a once in a lifetime athlete and leader.”

The coach went on to say that if McGrath were ever sick or having a bad day you would never know it; she doesn’t bring problems to the field, she stays consistent.

In addition to McGrath, juniors Lauren Piel (midfield) and Yuki Wong (defense) were also named by their peers to captain the team this fall. Both girls have been playing since their freshman campaign and both bring the confidence of being a captain. Having been together for a long time, the duo works well together on the field.

Over the years Piel has made the most progress and is the hardest working individual that Aiksnoras has ever had the pleasure of coaching. The coach went on to say that Piel is much smarter than she thinks she is when it comes to playing field hockey.

While the Gators are only beginning their feeder program, hopefully for the betterment of the team in the future, their goal is still the same as it is every year: make the State Tournament while earning the highest ranking possible.

“The ultimate goal is the State Tournament, but as a coach I am looking for them to improve on their game, while learning the fundamentals,” the Grafton Coach said. “I don’t expect perfection from them; I am just looking for them to prepare for the next year and success for the future.”
Playing in the Mid Wach A, Grafton will find themselves playing a totally different type of season than what they’ve been used to in the past. They’ll have 10 games against Mid Wach opponents and another eight games against non-league teams like Auburn, Oxford, Shepherd Hill, BVT and Hudson to name a few.

Aiksnoras believes that you have to play the top-notch teams if you want to be one yourself.

“Playing easy teams does not make you a better team. It might get you more wins but doesn’t help you in the long run,” she said. “We might not win them all, but playing higher ranked teams helps in the power rankings and I’d rather be involved in a close game that we lose than a blowout win.”

Grafton will take to the field on Monday, September 8 to open the season at home against Wachusett.