Watertown Field Hockey knows who they are and what is expected of them. When they lose (and that’s rarely) it’s big news. If they win, but by only a certain margin, it’s news. When they give up a goal, for goodness sake, it’s news. It’s an understatement that the weight of expectation is heavy. But you would never guess that it affects those who put on the uniform and play for Coach Eileen Donohue. They simply buy in and practice hard and play hard and believe that they will be rewarded for the commitment and the sweat and the effort.
Twenty-two state titles in 39 years stands for greatness, and generations have felt the joy that comes with playing in the final game of the season and coming out on top. Seniors Sophia Setouhi and Ava Lammachia know nothing other than the ultimate success, and want to experience that feeling one more time. So, along with a roster full of underclassmen improving with every game, the 2025 Raiders began defense of their 2024 title with a dominating win Wednesday evening at Victory Field.
The Raiders are seeded fifth and came into the game with a 15-2 record. Swampscott came in 28th and a record of 5-9-1. They also came into the game having scored only 20 goals all season while allowing 43. Watertown? 94 scored and only 11 goals allowed. The game was as one-sided as those differentials. Watertown pressured from the very first minute, but it wasn’t until 30 seconds remained in the period when sophomore Tyler Foley scored on a rebound to give Watertown the lead, 1-0.
The Raiders continued to pressure throughout the second period, and pretty goals on blistering shots well-aimed by juniors Aisling Brennock and Kaylee Master sent the Raiders to halftime with a 3-0 cushion. Unofficially, Watertown had 11 shots on net; officially Swampscott had none. By game’s end those numbers were 18 for the Raiders and still none for Swampscott. Sophomores Gianna Venezia and Avangeline Anderson made the fourth period feel like a youth movement with Watertown’s final two goals.
It was a cool and raw and misty day, and the field was slick throughout. Both teams experienced issues with their footing, but Watertown’s play never suffered. Quite the opposite. To these eyes, the past few weeks have shown Watertown moving the ball with pace and speed. And even better, they’ve been sharing the ball and consistently finding the open teammate with some superb passing. No matter the sport, unselfish and creative play is always a good sign — a sign of a team gelling. The Raiders certainly hope this is the case after their Round of 32 win on this day. Next up? A round of 16 game against either the 12-seed Gloucester or the 21 seed, Notre Dame Academy of Worcester. These two schools play Halloween Day and the Raiders will welcome one of them early next week, very possibly Tuesday afternoon, Election Day, at Victory Field.
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Scoring Summary
1st Period
Watertown 1 Swampscott 0… Tyler Foley at 14:30
2nd Period
Watertown 2 Swampscott 0… Aisling Brennock at 4:30
Watertown 3 Swampscott 0… Kaylee Master at 7:17
3rd Period
No Scoring
4th Period
Watertown 4 Swampscott 0… Avangeline Anderson at 1:30
Watertown 5 Swampscott 0… Gianna Venezia at 7:00
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1 2 3 4 – F
Swampscott 0 0 0 0 – 0
Watertown 1 2 0 2 – 5