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# Championship game appearance a bit of a surprise for Gilford, Pelham field hockey
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/championship-game-appearance-bit-surprise-gilford-pelham-field-hockey/
- Published: 2016-11-03T19:30:28.000Z
- Updated: 2016-11-03T19:30:28.000Z
- Description: When David Rogacki was hired as the Gilford High School field hockey coach six years ago, he told the administration he believed he could build a solid program. In 2015, the Golden Eagles made it to the Division III championship game, but lost to Berlin. Rogacki thought that eventually his team woul
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division III-IV, championship, Division III, field hockey, Gilford, Pelham, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

When David Rogacki was hired as the Gilford High School field hockey coach six years ago, he told the administration he believed he could build a solid program.

In 2015, the Golden Eagles made it to the Division III championship game, but lost to Berlin. Rogacki thought that eventually his team would get back to that stage, and maybe even come home with a title.

But he never thought that year would be 2016.

After No. 2 Gilford beat No. 4 Pelham 1-0 in double overtime on Sunday, the Golden Eagles coach was feeling a little bit of surprise.

"We never would have thought this team would have done this," Rogacki said. "We only start two seniors and two juniors. You bring in six freshmen and you've got eight seniors, are they going to get together, and they do.

"The seniors are great about taking kids home and taking them here or there. That's great when you see that and that's something that (the coaches) had nothing to do with. I think that made the younger kids play harder and that was a big thing."

To some of the players, winning the title just seemed like the next step in a natural progression.

"Freshman year, we got out in the final four," Gilford junior Kellie Ryan said. "Last year, we lost in the championship. It was tough for us to lose last year. Getting back here, and winning, was that final step up, and it meant everything."

Going into the playoffs, Rogacki wondered how his younger players would handle being in the high-pressure situations, especially as the Eagles moved on to the final four and championship game.

"You get to this time of the season, and this is a reward for you," he said. "Of course, with freshmen, you wonder if the moment is going to be bigger than it really is. I think the seniors helped with that. During our last few practices, we didn't talk about anything special."

For Pelham, it was the first title-game appearance for the program, but co-coach Michaela Galvin felt like this could be a group that reached that milestone.

"From the beginning, we could tell there was something different about this team," she said. "We have 11 seniors and a lot have played together since seventh grade, and they've been friends since they were babies.

"They have this camaraderie, and they were always positive and never got down on each other. Every day they came to practice, they were excited to be there. It's too bad it didn't end a little differently."