By Christopher Tremblay, Staff Sports Writer

After concluding a 17-1 regular season where they were awarded the number in the Division 4 State Field Hockey Tournament Uxbridge continued through the play-offs with one thing in mind – taking home its third straight Championship. 

 The Spartans did just that in convincing fashion as they beat all four of their opponents via the shutout and when tournament concluded with a 3-0 win over Monomy, the number three seed in the Championship game, Uxbridge had scored 27 goals while its opponents were blanked out and unable to score a single goal.

 Having won State Championships in 2021, 2022 and 2023 the Spartans are taking to the field this fall with number four on their minds. According to Spartan head coach Kelly Rosborough, Watertown has won four straight championships and Uxbridge would love nothing more to be in that elite company. Prior to getting to the State Championship game in 2021 Uxbridge had only been involved in one State Championship game back in 1999 when the Coaches younger sister was part of the team.

 Since the MIAA adjusted its post-season play and went to the power ranking system Uxbridge has been a beneficiary. In the past it was only teams that were over .500 during the regular season that made the tournament and were place in one of two divisions, now there are four divisions of participants.

“Timing has been everything, but I firmly believe that we would have still been a strong contender in the old Division 2,” Rosborough said. “We have the talent and discipline and would be right there with the best of them had they not changed the system.”

 Over the three years Uxbridge has been nothing short of amazing and dominant. The Spartans have taken home the championship after defeating the likes of Ipswich (2021), Manchester Essex (2022) and Monomy (2023) while outscoring their opponents in the tournament by an astounding 81-3 ratio. Twice (2021 and 23) they completely ran the table while not allowing a single goal to be scored upon them and in 2022 they gave up all three goals: one in a 7-1 victory and the others in a 3-2 double overtime win. 

 As the Spartans entered the 2024 season they had six starters on the squad that could very well be part of four State Championship teams in four years, should Uxbridge accomplish the feat. 

 “It’s an amazing run we’ve been on,” the Spartan coach said. “It will be weird when the day comes and Uxbridge field hockey is not involved in the State championship game; we’ve become so accustomed to being there.”

 What’s amazing about these girls is that all six of them will be attending colleges on athletic scholarships (five of them playing field hockey and one softball). Senior captains Elyse Bouchard will be headed to Bryant University in Smithfield Rhode Island, while Bailey Dzivasen will be playing softball for Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire.

 On the hockey field, Dzivasen will play on the defensive side of the ball for Uxbridge, while her co-captain is an offensive threat for the Spartans. Last fall, Bouchard notched 32 goals to push her over the 100-goal threshold for her career and the most in school history.

 “I’ll be looking for these two to provide consistency and energy while on the field,” Rosborough said. “They will be the ones lifting the team up and the main source of communication between the coaches and the players. I’m hoping that that have a great senior season.”

 Outside the two senior captains Rosborough will be starting four juniors who are on the verge of four championships over their high school career. In Uxbridge the Middle School is made up of sixth and seventh graders while the high school is grade 8 through 12. 

 Those four athletes are Amelia Blood (committed to wake Forest); Kendall Gilmore (Maryland); Julianna Casucci and Julia Okenquist (both will be committing but have not made where known as of yet). Okenquist has been the team’s goalie – last year she had 16 shutouts in 24 games and didn’t allow any goals during the tournament. 

 “Having five of those six girls committed to play field hockey on the collegiate level says that we’re doing things right here,” the Uxbridge coach said. “It’s something that I’ve instilled from the very beginning – ‘Believe in Yourself.’ To have that many athletes going to play Division 1 is very unique.”

Rosborough recalls that when she first arrived at Uxbridge the Spartans were not a contending team playing in the SWCL, but the tides started to turn once they implemented a youth field hockey program within the town. Uxbridge had always been a solid field hockey town, but never to the level where they are playing now. The program has become a big thing, not only allowing the girls to learn about the game of field hockey, but as a feeder program to the high school team. The coach also noted that a lot of the parents have given their dedication to the program as well, enabling the girls to play the sport year-round.

At the time of this writing the Spartans were on their way to another successful campaign sitting at 6-0 with four non-league wins over Division 3 Foxboro, Division 2 Doherty and Division 1 teams Bishop Feehan and Acton Boxborough. Rosborough noted that everyone on the team is a talented individual and wants to be competitive as well as successful.

“Years ago, we were lucky to have two or three solid players on our team,” Rosborough said. “But now they are all top-notch players and every one of them is a versatile athlete that can play just about everywhere on the field.

The remainder of the Spartans starting lineup includes sophomores Addie Blood (center back), Aubrey Bouchard (right midfield), Brooklyn Kaferlein (attack, center-mid) and Maddie Cammuso (left defensive back). Freshman Ava Rosborough (left forward) rounds out the starters. 

Coming into the season Uxbridge had some nig games on their schedule with the goal being to take care of business and win those games: Walpole, the defending Division 1 State Champion and Andover, a rematch with the only team to beat Uxbridge last fall. 

“I told the girls that we have a big target on our backs and now that Max Field Hockey has named us the number 25 team in the Nation they’ve upped the intensity of team playing us,” Rosborough said. “We want to go out and be focused and disciplines, but also have fun while playing.”

The extended starting lineup or those first off the bench for the Spartans to get some quality minutes are junior midfielders Morgan Charbonnier and Sydney Vanderzicht and sophomores Aubrey Beland (forward) and Emma Peloquin (midfielder).