With Hingham Youth Field Hockey being a huge success with the class of 2026, it produced many seniors on the field hockey team this year. Hingham Field Hockey has made it to the Final Four for the past two consecutive years and for the first time were ranked first in the MIAA rankings. The immense success is no doubt attributed to the 13 seniors on the team, some of them having been on varsity for four years now.
The five senior captains are Ryan Hallisey, Ella O’Neill, Sam Ruddick, Kaitlyn Manning, and Emily Kiernan. All five captains have been playing field hockey for over 5 years, so they have seen the team grow and have been a key part of the team’s immense improvement. The 13 seniors celebrated on Wednesday during Senior Night were Ryan Hallisey, Ella O’Neill, Sam Ruddick, Kaitlyn Manning, Emily Kiernan, Sammy Price, Izzy McGarr, Olivia Nolan, Arianna Sood, Katie Whitlock, Libby Rogers, Madeline Accetella, and Caitlin Patten.
The evening activities started with the JV field hockey team and their match against Marshfield. After their 8-0 win, the varsity team took over the field to kick off their senior night. They started with the senior ceremony. Some of the players’ moms wore Hingham Senior 26 shirts to support their daughters. Parents lined up on the field as the players lined up facing them. The nine remaining varsity players, three juniors and six sophomores, handed out personalized posters to each of the varsity players as their names got called alphabetically.
All four field hockey coaches, Coach Smith, Coach Petrie, Coach Baggott, and Coach Viola stood beside the girls as well. All the coaches adore the players, so it was very emotional for everyone involved. As the game commenced, the players transferred their energy from the ceremony onto the field. Captain Emily Kiernan scored the first goal, the perfect way to start off a monumental Senior Night. After varsity’s 4-0 lead at halftime, Hingham High School dance team took over the field for halftime entertainment. Their energetic spirit and high kicks encouraged lots of cheering! Even with the cold temperatures, both the dance and field hockey teams excelled in their respective performances. Varsity ended up winning 6-0 with goals from various different seniors.
Naturally, the varsity players are sad to leave the team, but ultimately grateful for the experience. Senior Madeline Accettella commented on the event, saying, “For me, Senior Night was surreal. I couldn’t believe that it was finally my turn. The underclassmen did a great job with everything, and I am going to miss them after the end of the season.”
Freshman Rory O’Neill, younger sister of captain Ella O’Neill, says, “Senior Night is bittersweet because I loved honoring my sister, but will be sad to see her go to college next year.”
The field hockey team at Hingham has achieved great success, in part due to the commitment and grit of the class of 2026!
