Field Hockey Sets Trend; Finishes 12-0
The 2013 Raider field hockey squad finished the regular season with an unblemished 12-0 record; their success proved the most impressive of the fall sports teams.
At press time, the top-seeded Raiders had reached the second round of the playoffs by defeating the Kent Roosevelt Rough Riders 1-0 Oct. 17 at Russell H. Rupp stadium.
The Raiders beat their fiercest rival, the Hathaway Brown Blazers, for the first time since 1996 by a score of 1-0 in the final game of the regular season. This accomplishment helped the team erase the lingering stress from their loss to the Blazers in last season’s district final.
Despite the loss of a host of talented seniors, including Division 1 recruit Kendal Anderson, who currently plays for Michigan State University, the Raiders improved their record and defeated top area teams. Early in the season, Shaker beat the Hudson Explorers, and soon after defeated the Stow-Munroe Falls Bulldogs. Both wins tallied a score of 4-1.The Raiders’ biggest win came against the Hawken Hawks in a 7-0 rout.
Much like the field hockey team, the majority of the other fall sports squads have experienced success in the past few months.
The varsity football team entered the eighth week of the season at 5-2 and ranked 17th by the Plain Dealer. After suffering two consecutive losses to Stow-Munroe Falls and Mentor, the Raiders defeated the Medina Bees 50-30 in the homecoming game. With nine Division I recruits, Shaker came into the season with high expectations, but the two big losses have all but shattered the team’s hopes of contending for a playoff spot at season’s end.
The men’s soccer team finished the regular season at 11-5, suffering two one-goal losses to Berea and Medina. They were successful in the NOC with a record of 4-1, an improvement from their 2-1-2 finish in 2012. The Raiders did suffer a tough loss to Mentor in an away game, but are hopeful they will get a chance to even the score with a win versus the Cardinals in the playoffs. They will play their first playoff game at home Saturday Oct. 19 against Chardon.
“Injuries really kept us from performing to our full potential this year,” senior forward Thomas Metz said. “But our main goal of winning districts is still very reachable, so I wouldn’t consider this to be an unsuccessful season.”
The women’s soccer team didn’t see the same success, finishing 5-8-3 during the regular season. A highlight came in a 4-2 win over Cleveland Heights, in which the team’s leading scorer, junior Rae Conlon, led the attack. They defeated Valley Forge 3-1 in the first round of the sectional playoffs Oct. 14 and were ousted Oct. 17 by North Royalton in a second round 4-0 loss.
The men’s and women’s golf teams saw contrasting success in the 2013 season. The men, led by junior Daniel Hirsh, played their way to an impressive 10-3 record, while the 0-4 women’s team didn’t see the same success.
Sasha Rae-Grant | Nov 7, 2013 at 6:06 pm
And, yet again, absolutely nothing about the rowing team’s impressive last regatta. Everybody won at least one gold medal, and a lot of team members won two or three medals.
Also, the football team is in the playoffs. The Shakerite has an article about that from three days ago.