The MVHS Varsity Field Hockey team ended the first game of the season with a 4-0 loss. The game was expected to be difficult considering that Willow Glen HS qualified for Central Coast Section (CCS) the previous year. 

For junior and co-captain captain Roya Ahmadi, this was her first game playing at the varsity level. 

“Obviously the varsity level competition is a lot higher so a lot of the games are really tough,” Ahmadi said. “Sometimes, we don’t get the results we want. Personally I was just hoping to do my best, have moments in the game that I’m proud of and I think that did happen.”

According to Ahmadi, this game was a chance for the Matadors to practice working effectively as a team. Throughout the game, they saw what needed to be improved in their playing and they got a look at how the season could potentially turn out. 

For senior and co-captain Isabelle Dingli, she was proud of how the team played regardless of the turn out. Dingli said this season differs from last in terms of skill level and bonding.

“I think our bond over role is pretty good this year,” Dingli said. “Last year, there was more of a divide between seniors and juniors and that was apparent in the playing on the field. I know that the prior years before when I was just on JV that the varsity team didn’t necessarily bond as well. But, a lot of them had been playing younger so the skill level was high.” 

Though Dingli knows team members from previous years, there were more experienced players on varsity in the past. She also mentions that most of pre-season training occurs during the Matador summer camp which not everyone attends. Nonetheless, Dingli believes the team can have a successful season because of the team chemistry. 

Senior Sachi Bhatkar saw potential in skill yet need for improvement with the team’s connection throughout the game. Like Dingli, Bhatkar sees the importance of team bonding and creating a positive environment to help carry them through the rest of the season. 

“I don’t think it was our best performance because we’re not really a team right now,” Bhatkar said. “Right now, we’re playing individually, but I’m hoping that’s going to get fixed. I know I could definitely see that most of the players skills were there, but then we just weren’t playing as a team.

Additional Reporting by Justine Ha