The inaugural season for the San Benito High field hockey team was a rousing success. The Haybalers finished 3-10 overall and 3-6 in Monterey Bay League play. First-year programs at the prep level tend to struggle mightily for obvious reasons, but San Benito won its final two matches against Salinas and York, respectively, both by 1-0 scores.
“I see the horizon now,” Balers coach Tessa Chapman said. “I’m really pumped because the girls are already talking about what camps they’re going to go to (in the off-season).”
Chapman said seven players off this year’s squad—freshmen Railyn King and Kaitlyn Tedesco, sophomore Olivia Gonzales and juniors Cassidy Aalgaard, Kourtney Carmichael, Brittney Kim and Corissa King—have tried out for the Team USA Futures Trials in hopes of making the Futures Program.
Senior center midfielder Austin Perez, who led the team in goals scored with five, feels the program is on the cusp of something special.
“These girls are going to be super good,” Perez said. “To see some of the freshmen and think what they’ll be like by the time they’re seniors, I know this team will be right up there with some of the top teams. I wish they would’ve had field hockey my freshman year, because it’s a sport I’ve come to really appreciate.”
San Benito earned its first win of the season in its ninth match, a 1-0 decision over Monterey. The Balers suffered consecutive losses after that, 4-2 to Christopher and 9-0 to Gilroy, which is a perennial Central Coast Section power. However, the Balers finished the season strong, knocking off Salinas and York.
San Benito and Salinas were the only two teams in the MBL this season competing as first-year programs, and Perez said avenging a 1-0 loss to the Cowboys was the highlight of her year. Perez accounted for the only goal of the game when she drilled a one-timer from 12 yards away off a nice pass from Karina Collins.
“Karina’s pass was so smooth and perfect,” Perez said. “Salinas is a really rough team and the first time we played them, we gave up a dumb goal. They didn’t really earn that goal, so we wanted to beat them the second time because it felt like they were our rivals.”
Once the season ended on Nov. 6, Perez started shifting into soccer mode. That’s because the following Monday San Benito High had its first soccer practice of the season. Playing for the first Balers field hockey team is an experience Perez won’t soon forget.
“We all learned the game together and grew together,” she said. “And what made it even better was there really was no drama like you have on most high school sports teams.”
The King sisters also had a great experience, and they’re already thinking about working hard in the off-season so the team can move up the standings next year. Corissa and Railyn King both played ice hockey growing up with the San Jose Sharks Junior club team.
Although both players quit the sport before their freshman year, they said field hockey has been a capable replacement, providing them with a competitive outlet. In her final year playing ice hockey, Railyn actually made an all-boys team.
“It was fun because I got to be aggressive and the boys didn’t take it easy on me,” she said. “The experience this year was great, and it was nice to end our season on a positive note.”
Railyn started the season on the junior varsity team before being moved up to the varsity about halfway through the season. The forward scored five or six goals at the JV level and added another during varsity action. Corissa played a number of different positions and made adjustments on the fly.
“Wherever coach wanted me to play, I was happy to play,” she said. “We were all pretty much new to the sport and there were losses, but that’s all a part of sports and I understood you have to go through tough times first before you can win a lot.”
Corissa, who is an officer of the Hollister Future Farmers of America chapter, counts Aalgaard as one of her close friends. Corissa also likes the communal aspects of sports; like a lot of San Benito students, she’s a die-hard fan of the football team. Some of her best friends on the team include Tyler Biersdorff, Daniel Hopkins, Diego Fisher and her younger brother, freshman Dallin King, who plays on the freshmen squad.
“All of those guys are like family to me,” Corissa said.
Chapman said one of her favorite moments of the season came in the team’s penultimate match against Salinas.
“It was intense. The girls had that look in their eyes that they really wanted that win,” Chapman said. “ They knew they could do it and put everything together. It was amazing. Their enthusiasm was just incredible. I don’t even know how to describe it.”
Chapman said competition breeds success, and she sees even more athletes trying out for the team next season.
“It will be more competitive in regards to trying to make the team next year,” she said. “All the girls know it, too, so they’ll be working hard in the off-season knowing they’ll have to improve and take that next step.”
