Bishop Brady field hockey had the right mix to win program's first title

Kelly Owen has seen a lot during her tenure with the Bishop Brady High School field hockey program.

There have been years where the number of girls who come out for the team closes in on two dozen, and then there have been years, like 2019, where there aren't enough to have a junior varsity team.

But despite the lower numbers, this year's group of Giants were able to accomplish something that none before them had - win a championship. For a program that had never reached the semifinals, never mind a final, it may have seemed like a lofty goal before the season started.

Not so for this team, according to Owen.

"The majority of these kids who are juniors were sophomores last year, and they know what it’s like to end our season in the quarterfinals," Owen said. "We had that in our forefront when we came back to start the season. We circled Nov. 3 (the day of the finals) to be here in August.

"We’re a small school. This is my 26^th season here and I’ve seen numbers in the 40s and numbers as low as 17. I couldn’t be prouder of them. We wanted to believe in one another. Stronger together than they are a part. They fulfilled it from start to finish."

Libbey Hicks scored on a penalty stroke in the first five minutes of the second half and No. 3 Bishop Brady made it hold up for a 1-0 win over No. 5 Mascoma Valley in the Division III championship game on Sunday.

Reaching the championship game was so important a goal for Bishop Brady, it was something the players and coaches talked about freely during the season.

"I remember there was one moment a couple of months back where we weren’t having a good practice, and I said ‘hey, the goal is Nov. 3,’ " Owen said. "And Halle Laramie goes ‘just for those of you who don’t know, that’s the championship.’ Can we go forward? They were like ‘yes coach.’"

Laramie, a junior, could see something different about this year's team early on, and despite not having the experience of a deep playoff run, the Giants would be able to figure it out as they go.

"This team was different than in past years," she said. "I knew we could be there in the end and if we got there we could do it. We’re so much stronger together. None of us had experience in this at all. It was new for all of us and we had to come together as a team. We all had to figure out what we needed to do to get here."

As a successful season moved along, it wasn't just this year's team that the Giants were playing for, as former players reached out to the team during the year.

"It means a lot to us," Hicks said. "A lot of people were very excited. Some alumni were saying we were making their dreams come true. That motivated us a lot. It was great."

Looking ahead, Bishop Brady could be primed for another championship run in 2020, as the Giants will graduate just one senior - co-captain Raelyn Roberts. Laramie and Hicks both return, as does Ashlyn Toupin, who all had a hand in Bishop Brady's goals in the semifinals and final, and goalie Julie Blais is just a sophomore.

"It’s a great feeling and I’m proud of these kids," Owen said. "It’s about them. These are kids who step out on the field and it’s about them and their high school journey."