The Malden High Field Hockey team posing for a photo after their 3-0 victory over Revere. Photo taken by Julie Yu.
Senior Kenny Nguyen running after Revere Defensive player. Photo taken by Julie Yu. 
Senior Jett-le Tran Le dribbling the ball closer to the goal. Photo taken by Julie Yu. 
Senior Alex Be stealing the ball from Revere. Photo taken by Julie Yu. 
The Malden Field Hockey team reflects after their first quarter. Photo taken by Julie Yu. 
Senior Bonnie Kuang fending off Revere Defensive player. Photo taken by Julie Yu. 
Senior Jett-le Tran Le dribbling the ball towards the goal. Photo taken by Julie Yu. 
Senior Kenny Nguyen dribbling the ball down the field. Photo taken by Julie Yu. 
Senior Alex Be stealing the ball from a Revere player. Photo taken by Julie Yu. 
Senior Hanson Mei defending against a Revere Offensive player. Photo taken by Julie Yu. The Malden High Field Hockey team posing for a photo after their 3-0 victory over Revere. Photo taken by Julie Yu.
The field hockey season is in full swing, the team with a current score of four wins and zero loses. Usually a fall season sport, this year field hockey games take place during the springtime, after a switch with high schools sports in accommodation to how the city adjusts with COVID-19 guidelines.
During a year where many students are choosing to opt out of playing sports this season, senior Bonnie Kuang, one of the field hockey team captains, explains how the MIAA guidelines make her “feel safe enough to play.” She sees that the necessary precautions have “not affected how much [she enjoys] the season.”
Senior Elaine Du, another one of the team’s captains, has played on the field hockey team since her freshman year. However, when it came to the decision of playing this season, she had to look at all the logistics. “Of course, [it is her] senior year, [she] really wanted the experience,” Du explained before making her decision to participate this season she “wanted to make sure everything was safe for the season.”
In addition to having to play with masks on and socially distant practices, a field hockey game is now divided into four quarters rather than two halves. According to MIAA regulations, only seven members of a team can be playing on the field at a time, a change from what used to be eleven players on a field per team. In order to be able control a breakout if a student were infected with COVID-19, the field hockey team will only play two teams during their season, Revere and Everett.
Senior Ronald Batista, sees that the team understands that “without all of these precautions [they] would not be able to have the chance to play this season,” regardless it makes the experience different.
“[It is] a lot harder to be able to celebrate with the team after a win.” Batista explained that the team used to hug and jump on each other all the time,” however due to not being able to be in too close of a proximity to each other, that is not an option.
“COVID has really separated [them] and [they have not seen] each other in a long time,” Du said. While team bonding used to include pasta parties, Batista shared that they “[are not] really able to do that considering the circumstances,” nevertheless they do their best to “try to get to know each other in different ways.”
Kuang agrees that regardless of the circumstances the team is ”an amazing group of people who make a positive mood.” Despite some hardships in adapting to their new and limited ways of playing and celebrating, the field hockey team is on a winning streak and it is looking like an excellent final season for the seniors.
