With rosters hovering at or below 10 for the last three seasons, Field Hockey is making a comeback this fall with 17 Middle and Upper School players.

After playing no games last year, this season, the team has two games on its schedule. The squad lost in its first match-up against Montrose 2-0 last month, with a rematch scheduled for later today.

“I’m hoping that next year we can become a team, instead of more of a club to play more games,” Michelle Xu ’21 said.

Other players feel similarly.

“I think that if we schedule more games and make it more of a mainstream sport like soccer, more people will want to join,” Paige Gamble ’24 said.

”Field hockey is definitely getting more popular,”Alison Rimas ’23, who plays goalie, said. “A lot more people are starting to do it and try it out.”

Athletic Director Jeff Gates said that with Middle and Upper Schoolers on the team, scheduling has been difficult.

“It’s challenging to find competitive games,” Gates said. “It’s a balancing act to find teams that will match up against our age spread. I’m all for scheduling more games, and as additional girls join the program that will become easier.”

Head Coach Alexandra Morey, who has been with the team for three years, said she is excited about the “exponential growth” of the sport during her tenure.

“I absolutely love the sport, and I love sharing my passion with the girls,” Morey said. “I would be ecstatic if the program continued to grow and we were able to schedule more games. It would be my dream if we could have both a middle school and upper school team someday.”

According to Gates, the reason that the program has become more successful is in large part because of Morey.

“She knows the game well. She balances practices, teaches skills, and at the same time the girls are having a fun time learning.”

According to Head of School Judith Guild, field hockey is the longest running sport offered here, with a rich history. Several summers ago, Guild met with Joan “Bobbie” Knight Thomsen ’48, who played field hockey for Brimmer in the late 1940s.

“At the age of 88, she came to our luncheon with her wool field hockey cap on her head,” Guild said. She remarked on how spirited the game would be and how it drew a crowd every time they played. Brimmer was then an all-girls school in Boston, and the young women played in pleated skirts, wool socks, and wool caps, and from what I could discern, they loved the game. For the love of the game then and now, I hope to see this sport continue for decades to come.”

Gates said that the team’s success is in large part due to the efforts of Morey.

“She is a talented coach who teaches the students critical skills,” Gates said. “At the same time, it’s clear that the players are also having fun, which is so important.”