The Atoms girls varsity field hockey game against West Springfield was full of suspense and great plays, despite an unfortunate 2-1 loss in overtime on Thursday, Sept. 10.

Facing this loss has motivated the team to hone in on some of the mistakes that are keeping them from getting another win, as their record stands as 4-5.

“A challenge that I think our team is facing is communicating on the field while we are playing,” said sophomore Mckenzie Yi. “We’re working on communication and I think it’s getting better.”

Although the girls lost this game, they are still enthusiastic about the rest of the games to come. They are excited for team building and improving their performance in future games.

Winning is an important aspect to playing any school sport, but it is important to have a great time, make new friends, and display Atom Pride on the field.

“We strive to follow the D in Atom Pride, determination,” said senior captain Ashley Britton. “Field hockey is a low scoring game, it is often hard to keep trudging when there’s no instant satisfaction. However, when we think of the feeling that we will get when we give it our all, that is what drives us.”

Even though the season just started, the girls have been showing great teamwork and determination.  After this loss, the team will try and get back to winning in order to improve their record.

Whether they win or lose, their coach, Cindy Hook, is trying to keep the girls positive and show the other teams that their recent losses don’t accurately portray the work they are putting into their games and practices.

“Coach always says ‘it’s not about the score’ and she’s right, it’s about how we play,” said Yi.

The Atoms next game will  be played against Marshall High School on Tuesday, Sept. 15, and they hope that their team building and work on communication will help them win the game and better their success as a team.