From the start, the Lions have frequently advocated for the program, a "constant battle," said coach Megan Shortt.
Senior captain Michaela Stampfl recalls the beginning, when she was a seventh-grader at the Catholic school in Hyannis. She and six others were told by the administration that there was not enough demand for a team, and resources were lacking.
"There's not a lot of programs for elementary school, so when you come to high school and you've never played before, it can be kind of discouraging," senior captain Shea Ryan said.
The Cape Cod Field Hockey Club is the only competitive year-round program in the area. It has addressed a need, but it remains the only option for development.
Their passion and determination paid off, with the launch of the program, with 28 girls fielding varsity and junior varsity programs. Many had not played the game previously, but they were enthusiastic.
But the Lions shared a field that bordered the wetlands with the school's soccer teams forcing them to practice late at night or splitting the field in half. Even then, practice sometimes had to be canceled after it rained because the field flooded.
"I just said, 'There has to be a better way'. So I talked to my girls and I said, if there was a way for us to get somewhere to play on an actual field, what are you willing to do to get that? And all the girls said 'We'll do anything,'" Shortt said.
But the school was able to reach an agreement with neighboring Barnstable High 2.5 miles away to practice and play games its multi-purpose turf field.
"Not only are we practicing on a turf field, but we're playing here too. Field hockey is a game you play on turf most of the time, so it makes the ball move faster," Stampfl said.
Since the transition, the Lions have made three straight appearances in the Division 4 tournament.
"That has been the biggest turning point in our program so far," Ryan said. "It's so much different than playing on our little flooded grass field, and it really feels nice to be taken seriously for once."
The team has a strong bond, inspiring the underclassmen to continue the fight. Avery Crapo, a freshman and top scorer on the roster, takes inspiration from the seniors and coach who made their successes possible and is confident their resilience won't waver.
"The fight is hard, but we practice a lot and work [better] as a team," Crapo said. "Next year, our seniors are going to do the same thing and keep pushing us, and I hope to one day do the same as them."
And the Lions continue to advocate for the program. They'd like to have buses available for every road game. It all adds up to becoming more and more competitive on the Cape and beyond.
"The girls will always keep fighting to better the program, better their team, and support one another," Shortt said.
▪ Two new head coaches won their first games this past week. At Melrose, Olivia Cameron earned her first coaching win, and it was against a familiar foe. The Red Hawks defeated her alma mater, Wakefield, 3-1, on Friday. Essex Tech coach Taylor Gent notched her first victory as well, a 6-0 Cape Ann shutout of Amesbury. Her Hawks followed that shutout with an impressive 1-1 tie of Hamilton-Wenham on Monday.
▪ Norwood senior star Shea Larkee has played in six games for the No. 8 Mustangs, but she has netted four hat tricks. The most recent: Monday's in a 6-0 win over Holliston in a Tri-Valley League contest . . . No. 5 Central Catholic's 3-2 victory over No. 7 Andover Monday evening was the first time the Raiders have defeated the longtime power Golden Warriors . . . The King Philip duck has returned! For another year, Warriors coach Kaitlyn Wilder is rewarding players' hustle and determination with an oversized rubber duck. After a Monday duel against Hockomock foe Foxborough, which resulted in a 3-3 tie, Ella Morgan posed with her duck prize thanks to her goal and two assist effort.
Wednesday, Uxbridge at Foxborough, 5 p.m. -- Uxbridge, the defending Division 4 champion, has racked up 43 goals in a 5-0 start. Foxborough is unbeaten at home, and tied Hockomock foe King Philip.
Saturday, Manchester Essex at Sandwich, 12 p.m. -- Ranked fourth in the Globe poll, Sandwich has 8-0, 7-0, 7-0, and 7-0 wins. No. 18 Manchester Essex is coming off a 1-1 draw against Newburyport.
Monday, Walpole at Wellesley, 4 p.m. -- The second-ranked Porkers recorded 27 goals across three shutouts last week, and Wellesley has 10 days to bounce from its 6-2 loss against No. 8 Norwood.