Sachem East field hockey falls to Guilderland in state Class A semifinals

LAGRANGEVILLE, N.Y. — When seniors Addison Romanowski and Kayla Richter reflect on their time as part of the Sachem East field hockey team, the first word that comes to mind is grateful.

After an undefeated regular season and a Long Island Class A championship, Sachem East fell 4-1 to section II opponent Guilderland in the  state Class A semifinals at Arlington High School on Saturday afternoon.

“I am so grateful to have been a part of this team,” Romanowski said. “The bonds I’ve made with this group and learning under Coach Moon, I don’t think you can find that anywhere else.”

The first quarter ended scoreless with both teams proving they were ready for a good fight.

Just a few minutes into the second, Sachem East had three back-to-back penalty corner attempts but couldn’t seem to find the net.

With just 57 seconds left in the second quarter, Guilderland was able to get on the board and take a 1-0 lead going into the half.

“I really do think we dominated that first half,” Moon said. “We just couldn’t capitalize on the corners we had. If we did, it could have been a completely different game.”

Sachem East (18-1) totaled six corner attempts, only scoring on one, and they gave up six to Guilderland.

Sachem East's goal came from Romanowski with six minutes left on the clock, which brought the score to 2-1.

“It felt really good to get one in and it definitely got our motivation going since it was only a one-point game,” Romanowski said. “We definitely had a little run there where I feel like it was some of the best field hockey that we’ve played as a team.”

Unfortunately, that run was cut short as Guilderland had back-to-back corner attempts and was able to convert. And just two minutes later, they scored again to take the 4-1 win.

“As seniors who aren’t continuing their field hockey careers in college, we knew we had to give this game everything and play our hearts out,” Richter said. “I feel like we did that and had no regrets.”

With just eight graduating seniors, Moon says she’s excited for what’s to come with this young team.

“This is just a taste,” she said. “Having these younger kids here and see what they can accomplish, it’s exciting for sure.”

For Richter and Romanowski, this group was more than teammates, they were family. They look forward to supporting the underclassmen and hope to see them back in the state championships next season.

“How lucky are we to have something so special that is so hard to say goodbye to,” Richter said. “I’m going to miss this team and I’ll be supporting them every chance I get.”

“I hope coming here inspires and motivates them to come back,” Romanowski said. “All I would want is to be able to congratulate them on a state championship next season.”