BY ANALISE SAINVIL AND KAYLEE WEINGARTEN
On October 20, the field hockey team defeated Monroe 3-1 to advance to the next round of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament. With many impressive plays, the Knights showed their skill and strength to overtake Monroe.
Freshman Riley Hedin opened the scoring at 10:35 in the first quarter off an assist from Juliana Fuoco. “Riley had a big goal that got us off quickly,” said junior forward Avery Baile. “We started a little bit slow, but Riley’s goal helped open the flood gates.”
Senior Reagan Connolly extended the lead in the second quarter with an assist from Taylor Connolly. The sisters connected again in the third quarter, when Reagan scored her second goal off another assist from Taylor. “The Connolly sisters’ corner play stood out to me. It went right to Taylor, all the way down. Reagan tapped it in; it was an amazing corner and second goal of the game. It really set the bar, and I was so happy to see that it was the sisters. I just thought it was so cool,” said senior defender Kate Hazel, who also learned today that she earned recognition as GMC Defensive Player of the Year.
The team entered the fourth quarter with a 3-0 lead before Monroe scored its only goal at 57:36. The team finished with 19 shots on goal and 11 penalty corners, including two penalty-corner goals. “Everybody played a really big role. Everybody played their part and that’s what’s been going on the whole season. Everyone’s been playing their parts and that’s how we’ve been successful,” said Baile.
The victory brought Old Bridge’s record to 9-7 overall, with an 8-7 division record and a 4-4 record in the GMC Red Division. “It feels great,” said Hazel. “I couldn’t be happier and prouder of my team.”
Despite the win, the team identified areas to improve as it prepared for the next round. “I think the toughest part was just trying to stay on our strong side. I think we kept not looking up when we should have been looking up,” said Reagan Connolly.
The win also gave players an opportunity to recognize their individual progress during the season. “A moment that made me proud of myself is when I successfully had a really nice reverse hit because that’s something that I’ve been working on since freshman year, and I felt like the fact that I executed it well in a game really just made me feel good about myself and my team in general,” said Hazel.
On October 22, the Knights head to South Plainfield to battle the number two seed in the semifinal round of GMCs.
Posted at 9:35pm on October 20, 2026
Photos and captions by Mckaila Macarthur and Riley Cadet
