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Thu, Nov 14, 2019 05:00 PM @ Neutral Location

Team	1st	2nd	Final
Andover	1	0	1
Somerset Berkley	3	1	4

Led by two boys, Somerset Berkley too much for Andovr field hockey in state semis

Wednesday, November, 20 By Kyle Gaudette

BRAINTREE — Maureen Noone is in her 22nd year coaching field hockey at Andover High.

She loves the sport. She’s passionate about the sport. She wants to see the sport continue to grow and expand.

And, yes, that even means she wants to see more boys pick up what is predominately a girls-only sport.

But not like this.

“I feel mixed-gender teams, if you choose to have a mixed-gender team, then you should be in a mixed-gender tournament,” said Noone following Andover’s 4-1 loss to undefeated, defending Division 1 state champion Somerset Berkley — which has two boys on its roster — in Thursday’s state semifinal.

“And there (in a mixed-gender tournament), everyone can be happy. I’m not saying (boys) shouldn’t play, because they have the right to play. I think it’s a great game.

“However, did I think that was fair tonight? No. Not at all.”

The MIAA allows for field hockey in the state to be mixed gender. In many other states and at the college level, however, field hockey is a female-only sport.

Somerset seniors Lucas Crook — who has over 100 career goals and 100 career assists — and Alex Millar helped lead their team to the state championship last year, and have the Raiders (23-0-0) one win away from a repeat.

Crook, a good five inches taller, 60 pounds heavier and much faster than most Andover defenders, started the game by zooming through four Warriors to set up a corner. The Raiders didn’t score on that particular chance, but the early pressure was set.

And on their next corner just 2:10 into the game, Crook sent a pass out to Millar who rocketed — probably — the hardest shot Andover has seen all year to make it 1-0. With about 13 minutes left in the first half, the same thing happened.

Then on the Raiders’ eighth corner of the first half, Crook used quick reflexes to snag a rebound, and with two quick flicks of his wrist moved it past the goalie to make it 3-0.

Andover (16-3-4) had a handful of corners in the first half, but struggled with the agile Millar — a back who got to the receiver of the initial corner pass much quicker than the Warriors are accustomed to. But, the Warriors did score against the Raiders — who have now outscored opponents 193-5 this year — when Kate Gemmell converted a corner with no time left in the first half.

And that, for the Warriors, was at least a small victory.

Reaghan Cadorette scored with less than five minutes left in the second half to finish the scoring. Between Thursday night’s win and their South finals win against Walpole last weekend, the Raiders have scored seven goals — six by either Crook or Miller.

“I feel for Walpole,” said Noone. “I feel for Canton, because the South Shore has really been hit with it more so than we have. We’ve always been a step away. If we got to a final game we knew we might end up ... you know, how about (last year’s state runner-up) Nashoba?

“They were the best team in the state last year. But they weren’t. (Nashoba) could be playing (Somerset Berkley), depending on if they win tonight, again in the state finals. So some of those kids will never have that opportunity to be a state champion.

“I don’t know. I just don’t feel that’s fair.”

That reality won’t happen, as West champion Longmeadow beat Nashoba in the other state semifinal and will be taking on the Raiders in Saturday’s final at WPI (1 p.m.).

But the sentiment from Noone is still the same.

Hanna Medwar, Olivia Beucler, Alana Miller, Sydney Gregory and goalie Paige Gillette all played well for the Warriors, who, as the No. 6 seed, made a surprise run through the North tournament.

That run ended in controversial fashion Thursday night, but the team still has a lot to be proud of for what it accomplished this fall.

“Nope, we didn’t,” laughed Noone when asked if she thought her team would make it to the state semifinal. “We had some good talent, but we also had a lot of injuries along the way.”

Somerset Berkley 4, Andover 1

Division 1 State Semifinal

Goals: Alex Millar 2, Lucas Crook, Reaghan Cadorette; A — Kate Gemmell

Saves: SB — Madison Ferrara 1; A — Paige Gillette 4

Andover (16-3-4): 1 0 — 1

Somerset Berkley (23-0-0): 3 1 — 4

Additional stories:

• Undefeated Somerset Berkley and its boys end Andover's season in state semis
• Led by two boys, Somerset Berkley too much for Andovr field hockey in state semis