Field Hockey, 8th Grade

On Monday, KCD's eighth grade field hockey team defeated Kammerer 2-1 in double overtime to claim its third consecutive league championship. The victory capped an incredible three-year run for the squad, during which time the girls lost only one game. During this three year span, the three-time champion class accumulated a 34 win, 1 loss and 3 tie record.  The collective three-year total of 34 wins by the Class of 2016 establishes a new school record, breaking the previous KCD record of 31 wins by the three-time champion Class of 2009. This is only the second time in the history of the middle school league that the same school has won for three consecutive years ‒ a feat first accomplished by KCD from 2002‒2004! Remarkably, KCD has faced Kammerer in all three of those championship games, the last two contests coming down to penalty strokes.

The championship game was a very tense affair from the opening whistle. Both teams generated multiple scoring opportunities only to find the opposing defense right there to stop the attack. Both teams played with an amazing degree of urgency and toughness, and the contest was tied at 0-0 after regulation. Following a ten-minute, seven-versus-seven sudden death overtime period in which neither squad was able to find the back of the cage, it came down to penalty flicks. It was déjà vu for the Bearcats, who saw goalie Beverly King save the first two shots from Kammerer, while Bearcats Kelsey Gill and Lilly Brice notched beautiful flicks for the winning team. After Kammerer went wide on their fourth attempt, the Bearcats knew they had captured their third straight tournament title. The victory capped a remarkable season in which the Bearcats went 13-1-1 (including 10 shutouts), scoring 49 goals while only allowing 5.

KCD has collected six "Acorn" championship trophies (2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2011) in the last twelve years of its tournament competition. This year's team is coached by three KCD alumnae. Head coach Alex Weber '07 and assistant coaches Michele Staffieri '07 and Maggie Flowers '08 provided amazing technical training and positive energy for this bunch, and the championship game was certainly a reflection of their passionate and motivational leadership.