It was a sunny afternoon on Friday, September 16 when Parker’s varsity field hockey team faced off against Glenbard West High School on the turf field.

The game started off in full swing even before it officially began for the Colonels, with the Parker players going through team warm-ups and multiple talks with the coaches. Right as the shot clock counted down to its last few seconds, the Glenbard West team entered onto the field, running through their warm-ups and passing balls across the width of the green turf.

Finally, both teams made their last huddles before the starting players (senior Eliza Fischer, freshman Senna Gardner, freshman Lauren Hughes, sophomore Danielle Slazas, junior Amalia Cerda, junior Jordan Shapiro, senior Alexandra Brainerd, senior Zoe Patinkin, senior Fiona Gallagher, and senior Evan Hughes) took their positions. Parents and other spectators watched as the sun gradually set behind the school building.

The game began around 5pm with strong play from both teams, Parker in particular bringing the ball down to Glenbard West’s side a number of times. There was a lot of back-and-forth action across the field both ways, but Glenbard West capitalized on their chances, and the score was 0-2 ten minutes into the first half. Still Parker fought on.

At halftime the score was 0-3, but the game continued with Parker supporters cheering on the players.  Everyone looked on anxiously as the last minutes wound down, and at the end of the game, the score was 0-5.

Brianna Boone, a junior on the team, reflected on how she and her teammates played that day. “We fought hard,” she said. “They were a tough team to beat.”

The team is looking forward to their upcoming games as the first month of the fall sports season is coming to a close.