Path To State Title Ends Short of Goal

Raiders fall to Thomas Worthington in semifinal once again

Eliot Call, Raider Zone Reporter|November 5, 2022

The field hockey team gathers at Thomas Worthington High School’s field before the state semifinal contest Thursday. It was the Raiders’ second consecutive trip to the final four.

The lights went out on the 2022 field hockey season when Shaker fell Thursday to the Thomas Worthington Cardinals in the state semifinals, 3-1.

The loss repeated last season’s outcome, when the Cardinals defeated the Raiders in the state semifinals, 1-0. Both semifinal games were played at Thomas Worthington High School in Worthington.

Senior co-captain Javiera Baeza credits the coaches for the team’s return to state play. “A lot of this is obviously thanks to the leadership of our coaches — the amount of knowledge and trust they passed on to us, and the team they built over the past month, since last time we played TW, is incredible. And it’s just sad that the game didn’t go our way,” she said.

This season, the Raiders finished 16-2-1 overall and were ranked fifth in Ohio heading into the semifinal game. Thomas Worthington came into the game with a 15-2 regular season record and were second in the state.

Shaker advanced to state competition by defeating the Hudson Explorers 2-1 in the district finals.

In the other state semifinal game, Bishop Watterson beat Mount Notre Dame 3-0, moving on to the finals against Thomas Worthington.

The contest began with an early goal from the Cardinals, followed minutes later by Baeza’s score to tie the game in the first quarter. The next two quarters were a battle, with plenty of changes in possession but no goals. In the third quarter, freshman Eleanor Miller received a green card, the first of the game for the Raiders.

Neither team scored again until the fourth quarter, when Thomas Worthington scored two goals in a row to round off the game with a 3-1 victory.

“Shaker field hockey isn’t just a team; it’s a family. We love and support each other every single day with no excuses. Whether we were running the last lap of a track workout, in the weight room, on the field, or just after a hard week, we could always rely on our teammates to be there for us,” junior Charlotte Glasper wrote in a text.

Baeza said she is gratified by the team’s effort. “Honestly the only thing I can say is how incredibly proud I am of this team. We came out strong, we controlled a great part of the game, and we had one of the top teams in the state panicking,” she said. “There’s not a lot more one can ask for than being part of the state final four, and Shaker field hockey simply fought until the end.”

Web & Print Managing Editor Marin Hunter contributed reporting.