Along with October 31 being Halloween, it was also the end of the Raiders field hockey season, their last game being the quarterfinal states game against Hunterdon Central.

The game resulted in a 1-0 loss for Hillsborough, eliminating the girls from the tournament. Although it resulted in a loss, the progress of the team can be shown by the results of their games against Hunterdon Central throughout the season.

The first time they played Hunterdon Central on September 22, they lost 6-0. Later in the season, on October 18, Hillsborough showed improved by only losing by 3. The team further showed their improvement at the game on Halloween by only losing to Hunterdon Central by 1 in overtime. With that being said, the field hockey team has improved immensely since their first game in September.

“After our losing streak, we realized that we could only go up from there,” senior Dakota Seidel said. “We started working hard, and playing each game like it was our last.”

Their improved record and game-play was due to the fact that the players were friends both on and off of the field.

“We got a lot closer, which helped us connect on the field,” senior Lisa Myers said. “We learned how each of us played, so we knew where to send the ball even before we got it.”

Losing their coach is also something that the team had to overcome this season, in which they accomplished by becoming closer as a team.

“Even though we lost our coach,” senior Kate Donnelly said. “Our team grew together as one; we learned how to use each other more than we ever had in the past.”

The Raiders ended the season with a record of 6-11-2. Scoring leaders of the season include senior Lisa Myers, who scored six goals, freshman Payton Altman, who scored five goals, and seniors Kate Donnelly and Dakota Seidel, who both scored four goals.

Players that had the most assists this season were fAltman, who had three assists, Donnelly, who also had three assists, and junior Ally Benadon, who had two assists. The starting goalkeeper, junior Macy Brandwein, ended the season with 110 saves.

This year, seniors Donnelly, Seidel, Myers, Courtney Neary, Sarah Spence, Allison Tucker, Tara Wattal, Jacqueline Salandra, and Kaitlyn Hands will all be graduating. Although many key players will be leaving, the team will have strong returning underclassmen to fulfill their positions. The Raiders look forward to next season, and aspire to further improve their record and play on the field.