Frontier Regional Edges East Longmeadow 2-1 for Class A Title

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Through the first half against East Longmeadow in the Western Mass. Class A championship game, the Frontier Regional field hockey team played mostly defense on Saturday. In the second half, the top-seeded Redhawks elevated their play with enough ferocity to beat the second-seeded Spartans, 2-1, to secure the sectional championship at Clark Field.

It marks the 11th Western Mass. championship under the direction of Missy Mahar. Frontier did not lose a game (17-1-1) in local competition all season. The only loss on the schedule was to the defending state champion Dennis-Yarmouth.

Battling Through a Tough Schedule

“I am so excited for them,” Mahar said. “With the schedule this year, fighting through our league. Playing East Longmeadow and Longmeadow twice. Going to D.Y. (Dennis-Yarmouth), suffering a loss. But getting some takeaways to see what we can improve on and then pushing forward in the postseason. To walk away today as champions, I am so proud of them. It’s well deserved.”

Western Mass. Football Top 20: East Longmeadow rises, Northampton jumps six spots and Putnam and Frontier enter the rankings. pic.twitter.com/eYPZGJXSwL

— https://x.com/MassLiveHS/status/2107777034722086999

Frontier ranks fourth in the state in the latest Division 4 MIAA power rankings. The Spartans heavily pressured the heart of the Frontier defense during the opening 30 minutes, though they failed to capitalize with a goal.

“We didn’t have our strongest first and second quarter,” Mahar said. “Defensively we’ve always been solid but East Longmeadow’s speed and their ability to carry in the middle kind of jammed us up a little bit. I was happy to see after halftime we made some adjustments they were able to adjust on the fly and limit those attacks to come out on top.”

Second-Half Adjustments Secure the Class A Crown

Addie Harrington sparked the Redhawks’ offense just before the end of the third quarter. Working against a single defender with only a minute remaining in the frame, Harrington fed Haly Doucette-Kaplan, who scored before going headfirst over the East Longmeadow goalkeeper.

“In the first half it was definitely jitters,” Harrington said. “It’s a championship game with a team that we are really familiar with. The second half we had to lock in and control ourselves. Just stay composed knowing we can get the job done.”

Early in the fourth quarter, Harrington jumped a goalie kick and pushed the ball directly to the stick of Bella Orrell. With Doucette-Kaplan sidelined due to an injury, Orrell stepped into extended playing time. The senior buried the opportunity to give Frontier a very important second goal.

“East Longmeadow was still hungry,” Orrell said. “They were still in it. 100 percent. We just needed to keep pushing even harder. Someone needed to step up. But we all stepped up and worked together to get it done. Addie sent it across the cage, and I got my stick on it and somehow tipped it in.”

Defensive Stance and the Road Ahead

Goalkeeper Brooke Charest anchored the defense under heavy pressure during the first half, turning away every Spartan attempt to keep the match scoreless heading into intermission. Despite seeing limited action through much of the regular season, the sophomore netminder relied on high-intensity practices to prepare for high-stakes moments.

“It felt good to see them get into the game,” Charest said. “I was glad I was able to keep them in it.”

East Longmeadow avoided a shutout when Abigail Meehan netted a goal with 1:27 remaining in regulation. The Spartans failed to mount another threat, clearing the path for the Redhawks’ championship celebration.

“Our team play is so good,” Harrington said, looking toward the postseason. “Hoping to carry our momentum into the state tournament where hopefully we can get a state championship.”