Field hockey couldn’t hold off the Lancers. In a hard-fought matchup against Saint Francis Thursday, Sep. 18, the Los Altos varsity field hockey team fell 4–0.

Entering the match with a 4–4–2 record, the Eagles felt prepared to face the Lancers, despite having lost to them in previous seasons, according to head coach Mary Donahue. But Los Altos just couldn’t beat history.

“I appreciated their effort, and we got some of the ideas clicking now,” Donahue said. “But we were not quite trained well enough to play a really good team like that, yet.”

Despite kicking off the game with high energy, strong starters and great effort in the midfield, Los Altos was overtaken by Saint Francis’ offense. 

“Saint Francis is really fast all over the field,” Donahue said. “They have very good stick skills from all of their players.”

The Eagles tried to counter it with running plays and improving communication, but struggled to stay cohesive, leading to critical errors that ultimately cost them the game. 

“Things started to fall through the gaps,” captain senior Gwen Mello said. “And when they did, it usually led to Saint Francis scoring a goal.”  

Despite the loss, junior Aisha Grebene said the game still showed Los Altos’ hard work and effort throughout the early season. 

“This game shows how far we’ve come in being able to work together,” Aisha said. “Especially since the beginning of the season.”

With only four seniors on the 21-player team, the young Eagles have been building bonds and skills. During the preseason, Donahue intentionally matched Los Altos against challenging teams to test their playing abilities.

In Thursday’s game, Donahue noted the team ran hard and showed increased communication. She highlighted that while some of their offensive skills are starting to come together, the team is still learning and has not yet reached its full potential.

“I’m really pleased with this year’s group,” Donahue said. “For how hard they’ve worked and because we’ve come a long way since we started playing in August.” 

Looking forward to the rest of the season, Aisha said the Eagles hope to qualify for the CCS playoffs. Until then, they’ll focus on passing through the weak side of the opponent, enhancing double-team defense and transitioning between defense and offense. 

The Eagles will face the Fremont High School Firebirds away on Tuesday, Sep. 30.