Oliver Ames Field Hockey Defeats Attleboro to Earn State Tourney Berth

It wasn't for the faint of heart, but it got the job done for the Tigers.

The field hockey team beat Attleboro Friday afternoon in a 1-0 thriller at Muscato Stadium. The must-win victory earned the Tigers (7-7-4 overall, 6-7-4 Hockomock League) a berth in the state tournament for the second year in a row and ended the season for the Blue Bombardiers.

"I’m just happy that these kids came through the way that they did," OA coach Janice Sundell said. "I think after we scored that goal it took the wind out of Attleboro’s sails."

After a scoreless first half, the only goal of the game was scored by OA senior Katie Stallings with just over 20 mins left to go in the game. From there, it was all about keeping the Blue Bombardiers away from the goal, which was no easy task. Attleboro had six shots on net to the Tigers' two, including four in the second half.

With 1:10 left to play, Attleboro's Allison Kane found herself alone with OA senior goaltender Haley Arnold, but the OA captain was able to keep the ball from finding the net.

"It came right down to the wire at the end with our goalie making a phenomenal play back there on a breakaway," Sundell said. "It was great."

The loss ends the season for Attleboro, whereas a tie or a win would have given the Blue Bombardiers a playoff berth. Attleboro finishes the season with a 5-7-6 record overall and a 4-7-4 record in the Hockomock League.

"They came out and they did the best they could," Attleboro coach Sue Hamilton said. "OA’s always a team that you’ve got to stick with and if you give them an inch they’ll take it and that’s exactly what they did today."

For the Tigers, who find out who they play in the tournament on Monday, beating Attleboro was a special victory.

"It was a great effort," said Sundell. "We had lost to them the first game, tied them the second game two days ago and today we won. So, it was especially satisfying."