JIM’S VIEW: Watertown Field Hockey Runs Into A Dominant Opponent in the State Div. 3 Semifinal

Watertown field hockey players Kaylee Master, Ava Lamacchia, and Lola Venezia defend against Uxbridge in the MIAA Div. 3 Tournament Semifinal. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

WEST BRIDGEWATER — Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure … than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.  ~  Theodore Roosevelt

The Watertown field hockey team lines up before the 2025 State Semifinal against Uxbridge. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Unless the players and coaches of Watertown Field Hockey had lived under a rock the past three months, except for when practicing and playing field hockey, they certainly knew the challenge they faced Wednesday night.

JIM’S VIEW: Watertown Boys Soccer Season Comes to a Harsh End In the Round of 16

Senior Gavin Foley scored one of Watertown’s goals in the Round of 16 game against Greater New Bedford. Here he receives the ball against St. Mary’s. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

There’s always another game is a common-used cliche in sports, but come tournament-time that couldn’t be further from the truth. On this night, either the Bears of Greater New Bedford (GNB), the No. 4 seed at 17-4, or the Raiders of Watertown, the No.

JIM’S VIEW: Watertown Field Hockey Punches Its Ticket to The Div. 3 Final Four In a Thriller

Watertown celebrates Sophia Setouhi’s go ahead goal in the State Tourney Round of 8 at Medfield on Saturday. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

MEDFIELD — You almost always know when a game has “it.” That special excitement and intensity and competition. Saturday at 1 p.m. was one of those days, as the fifth seeded Raiders took on the fourth seeded Medfield Warriors at Medfield High School. The winner would earn the right to play the No. 1 seed Uxbridge in the Final Four next week.  

On a sunny and unseasonably pleasant afternoon, with players all in shirtsleeves, Medfield relished the opportunity to knock off the four-time defending state champs and earn a hallmark win for the program. They looked ready to fulfill that dream when in the first minute of play Medfield, who put the ball in play to start the game, stormed down the field and immediately put the Raiders on their heels.

JIM’S VIEW: Watertown Boys Soccer, Back in Tournament Play, Shows No Jitters On The Way to a Victory Over St. Mary’s

Watertown senior Gavin Foley (number 6) gets congratulations from his teammates after scoring against St. Mary’s in the State Tournament Round of 32. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Election Day turned into a landslide for Watertown Boys Soccer in their return to tournament play for the first time since 2019, with an impressive 3-0 blanking of St.Mary’s of Lynn. 

Watertown, the 13 seed, moves on to the Round of 16. If 29th-seed Auburn can upset fourth seed Greater New Bedford on Thursday, Watertown will accept the nomination and play another home game. Otherwise, the Raiders will face the challenge of beating a top-four seed on the road, probably Monday or Tuesday. But those are matters for another day.  Today was about stuffing the ballot box and meeting another goal in the season-long campaign to victory. Watertown senior Aidan Anker shoots against St. Mary’s.

JIM’s VIEW: Don’t Let the Score Fool You, Watertown Dominates in Tourney and Advances to Elite 8

Watertown junior Kaylee Master scored two goals in the State Tournament Round of 16 Tuesday against Gloucester. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Watertown Field Hockey followed up their MIAA State Tournament Round of 32 win over Swampscott last week with a low-scoring, yet dominant performance Tuesday afternoon at Victory Field by the score of 2-0 over 12th seeded Gloucester. The fifth seeded Raiders await their Round of 8 opponent, which they’ll know by Wednesday evening. If fourth-seeded Medfield wins, Watertown played its last home game of 2025 on Election Day. If Nauset Regional can pull off the huge upset, Watertown will be gifted one more home game. Watertown senior Ava Lamacchia shoots at the Gloucester net in the State Tournament game at Victory Field. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Many an inferior opponent have packed in their defense in an attempt to clog up the shooting lanes and make it hard for the Raiders to score. Tuesday was another example of that strategy. Gloucester had a good goaltender who made a number of fine saves, but credit the many defenders who either blocked or deflected potential scoring chances. 

Senior Sophia Setouhi fights for the ball against Gloucester in the Round of 16 game.

JIM’S VIEW: Watertown Begins Defense of Div. 3 State Title With a Strong Performance vs. Swampscott

Watertown sophomore Ave Anderson, right, celebrates scoring against Swampsott in the State Tournament Round of 32 at Victory Field on Wednesday. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

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.

Watertown Wrestlers Make History at New Englands, One Finishes Second

Watertown Senior Tessa Master made history by finishing second at the New England Wrestling Championships. Here she won the MIAA Div. 3 State Tournament. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Senior Tessa Master made more history for the Watertown High School wrestling program by becoming the school’s highest finisher at the New England Wrestling Championships — improving on her junior-year performance. She was joined in Providence, Rhode Island, by fellow senior Brady Gleason, the first Raider boys wrestler to make the regional meet.