The Chapel Hill High School field hockey team concluded its season with a 15-3 record, making it to the Final Four of the 4A state playoffs for the second straight year. The Tigers fell short in a tense overtime battle against top-seeded Charlotte Catholic High School, losing 1-0 at Peerman Stadium on October 29.
The Tigers opened their season with a ten-game winning streak,highlighted by a double-overtime, shootout victory against Grimsley High School on September 5. Their largest win came in a 10-0 rout of Riverside-Durham. However, their momentum was briefly interrupted by back-to-back losses to conference rival Cardinal Gibbons High School, ending their regular season with a 13-2 record.
The Tigers finished second in the NCFHA East conference for the second consecutive year with an 8-2 record.
The Tigers began their playoff run with a 4-0 victory over Ardrey Kell High School on October 21, followed by a 3-2 upset of Grimsley in Greensboro two days later. The Tigers’ wins set the stage for their Final Four showdown against Charlotte Catholic, where four scoreless quarters and an overtime goal ended Chapel Hill’s championship hopes.
Senior co-captain Jordyn Viviers expressed the heartbreak of another season ending at the semifinals. “I don’t think the seniors will get over it because we thought we could make it to the finals this year,” Viviers said.
Junior co-captain Scarlett Gilner led the team with 29 goals and 84 points and is determined to compete for the title next year. “We had a really good season and did well to make it back to the Final Four,” Gilner said. “I think our next step is getting past that hump and winning the championship.”
Key to the team’s success was a solid defense anchored by Gilner and fellow center back Carly Brice. “Carly and I worked well together and were the backbone of the team,” Gilner said.
Beyond their athletic achievements, the Tigers fostered a culture of positivity and camaraderie, guided by captains Viviers, Gilner, Katherine Sanoff and Nora Mullen, as well as third-year head coach Jessica Russell.
Senior Izzy Huglemyer credited the team’s spirit for their success. “Even when we lose, the team is always optimistic and so supportive,” she said.
Gilner remains optimistic that the Tigers will make another deep run in the state playoff tournament next year. “We had a lot of underclassmen improve this year,” she said. “I think we’re going to be even better next year.”
