The DA varsity field hockey team opened the 2025 season with a thrilling overtime victory over Berkshire School on Saturday, September 13. The Doors were eager to play their first official game of the season after a productive few weeks of training and the annual DA scrimmage day at home on September 6.
The first quarter remained scoreless until the last stages of the period when assistant captain, Lilly Oliver ’26, took quick advantage of a Berkshire turnover, bringing the ball from the 25-yard line into the top of the circle for a goal. Halfway through the second quarter, the Bears scored off of a penalty corner. The Doors responded with their second goal from Oliver, assisted by Reagan Deery ’28, on the subsequent penalty corner.
The Bears opened the second half with high energy and scored off of an outside shot and tip to tie the game. In a DA offensive rush down the right side of the field, Alessandra Picard ’29 sent a hard pass into the circle to assistant captain, Chloe Cleaves ’26, who found the back of the net to regain the lead. The Bears would go on to score the next two goals of the contest, leaving DA trailing for the first time that day. With 54.2 seconds left in regulation, forward captain, Peyton Wierl ’26, showed impressive stick skills to sneak the ball through a small space on the near side of the goal, sending the teams into overtime. Possession was held evenly by these well-matched teams, and the Doors successfully defended two penalty corners in the first half of the overtime period. With 3:05 remaining, Cleaves and Wierl put the pressure on in front of the net, and when the ball traveled back toward the top of the circle, Oliver collected it and scored the game-winning goal off of a drive.
The Doors look to continue the momentum on the road against Pomfret on Wednesday, September 17.