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- Holly (Cycz) Wicks
Favorite memory: Winning STATE CHAMPS was definitely the highlight of my life when I was young. I used to talk about it any chance I could get! I even added it to all of my resume's. Memories of the glory days, we all played like Queens in that 2000 season! Untouched, undefeated! Every team, every rival town! We beat them all and we all played so well and had so much fun along. I loved my team! My friends, my sisters! We were all so close!
Realizing that there were other really amazing teams we didn't even know existed until the last days of our games of our State Championship season. The team we played in the finals, I remember, flew over on a plane from Martha's Vineyard. We knew nothing about them and they absolutely hit the ground running HARD! I remember feeling a bit on edge once the game started. They were a very good team...just as good as us."
A hard part was when someone got injured...especially on our team...always hard to watch someone in pain. When Kelly Dostal's mother, Eileen Dostal, battled breast cancer...that was hard and scary. Kelly was so brave but still managed all the worry and focus on the games always. She was always an amazing athlete. We all looked up to her! I was proud to tell people what a good friend she was.
Impact of winning: Just proud to be from such a small town and have such a quality AWESOME
group of women all play so well together. Lucky to be part of it all! - Kimberly (Vachula) Auclair
Favorite memory: My children love hearing the stories of locker rooms filled with balloons, half the town showing up to games and Brittney Wickles' goal with a bloody finger during playoffs. The parade through town after the big game was a cherry on top!
Something unexpected: That I didn't love the game of field hockey as much as I loved being part of
that Smith Academy team. I realized that what we had was super special and perhaps it was the
feeling that I loved more than the game itself.
- Brittney (Wickles) Robinson
Favorite Memory: The positive, hardworking atmosphere/environment that Coach Webb created.
Something unexpected: That I can do hard things (overcoming injury) while persevering and being
there for my team.
Impact of winning: Winning taught me that hard work can achieve success on the field and in life.
- Tricia Cycz
Favorite Memories: Watching Kel whack that ball so hard nobody wanted to be in the way, even the goalies! Getting paint at Wal-Mart and dressing up in camo to go paint the bar on River Road one evening. Ruffling Ms. Webb's hair!"
Impact of winning: I think as a high schooler that was the top for me, I couldn't have experienced anything more awesome than that! The final games, the excitement and just having so much fun with all the girls on my team and still remembering most of the girls' numbers and positions. Also just trusting and relying on people.
- Rachel (Skorupski) Meek
Favorite Memory: When we made it to the Western Mass Championship, people in the town of Hatfield would put signs and balloons around town for the games. The Cycz twins (Tricia and Holly) were always in charge of the music we would play while we warmed up for games. We all got very superstitious the deeper we got into the playoffs and started to do the same routines. While playing at Smith College for the Western Mass Championships, there were so many people there that it felt like the entire town of Hatfield had come to cheer us on. I can remember the boy's soccer team being there at the sidelines to cheer. Smith College used to put up rope or caution tap to keep people back from the sidelines. The sidelines and hill next to the field would be packed with people. Thank you for the opportunity to look back at a really amazing time in my life.
- Lisa (Kokoski) Moos
A hard part: When it was all over...knowing that whatever happened during that state final game, that it was really the last time we would all play together.
Impact of winning: It made me feel proud to be a part of a team who worked so hard every day, but also knew how to have fun off the field on our bus rides and team dinners. It's also fun to talk about now and people in town remember it so it's a connection on many levels.
- Kelly Dostal
Favorite Memory: As the season progressed, feeling the magic and momentum of the making of an undefeated championship season. Being the smallest public school in the state, the amount of support from everyone in town was simply incredible. When we continued winning and going deeper into the post season, the energy around school and town following the team and pulling for a State Championship is something I will never forget.
Something I learned: When you bring the right group of people together, regardless of size, talent, age, etc...anything is possible. Being the smallest school in the state going on to win a State Championship seemed improbable. Through this experience we learned what's possible with great coaching, a team with a common goal, and support from a unique town.
- Alison Megliola
Favorite Memory: Really my greatest memory is simply of how much I loved our team. It was really something to play a sport you loved with all of your best friends and then win game after game after game."
Impact of winning: It made me more confident and competitive with myself. I know I can do hard things, so I push myself a little bit more when I need to."
Statements of players collected by Eileen Dostal, 2023.