The longtime field hockey rivalry between neighborhood FAA foes Greenwich Academy and Sacred Heart Greenwich has seen both teams enjoy their signature moments, but for more than five seasons, the Tigers prevailed in the much-anticipated regular season matchups.

Eager to change such a scenario, the Gators used a highly impressive first half to ultimately, secure their latest regular season game against the Tigers on Oct. 15th.

Seizing a three-goal first half lead, Greenwich Academy’s varsity field hockey team held off Sacred Heart’s second half rally and earned a tough 3-2 win, taking over sole possession of first place in the FAA and most likely, capturing the FAA regular season title.

Prior to 2017, GA dominated the Fairchester Athletic Association, then in 2017, SHG won its first FAA Tournament championship. From 2018 through 2024, Sacred Heart defeated Greenwich Academy in each regular season game, winning the FAA regular season title and earning the No. 1 seed in the league Tournament, then in the postseason in each of those years, the Gators and Tigers posted victories against each other several times, with GA going 5-4 against SHG in the playoffs. Overall, Sacred Heart is 11-7 versus Greenwich Academy dating back to the 2018 season.

In GA’s one-goal win against SHG on Oct. 15th, junior forward Emily Rizzi scored two goals and senior forward/midfielder Quinn Lahey added one goal for the hosts.

“It’s a really nice win, we haven’t won the regular season against Sacred Heart since I’ve been in high school,” Greenwich Academy senior defender/captain Mallory Walker said. “This one is really nice.”

With the league win, Greenwich Academy raised its record to a perfect 6-0 in the FAA. Sacred Heart Greenwich is 4-1 in league play.

“Usually, it’s very close and we had a great first quarter, first half and we had great momentum, which was great,” GA senior midfielder/captain Georgia Schmitz said. “The energy throughout the game was really awesome.”

Junior Xan Collins and Whitney Rousseau, also a junior, registered one goal apiece for the Tigers.

“We started very slow and very timid, which shows how young we are,” SHG coach Alex Gheorghe said, of his squad, which has numerous underclassmen. “We would like to congratulate Greenwich Academy, I think they played very hard and have tremendous athletes. They’re very well coached as well and they had a good strategy against us. That’s what happens in sports when you don’t capitalize on your chances early on and you start on your heels.”

Sacred Heart entered halftime trailing 3-0, as Greenwich Academy capitalized on several of its opportunities in the first two quarters of action, one of which came off a penalty corner.

Lahey’s goal off a penalty corner gave the Gators a 1-0 lead.

“The first goal was during a corner and we were all getting really scrappy, so it was nice to put it in,” Lahey said. “It was a super tight game, so any goal was super exciting.”

Lahey assisted on one of Rizzi’s tallies in the opening half.

“I intercepted the ball and Quinn got it and she sent a little tip and I just tipped it in,” Rizzi said of her goal. “I think Annie, Quinn and I – we’ve been switching a lot recently and that’s been really helping our game. This game, Annie and I would switch a lot and then Quinn sent amazing passes.”

Indeed, GA coach Jamie Brower couldn’t have asked for more from her squad during the first half of play.

“There was a lot of good forward passing,” Brower noted. “The first half was our best hockey that we’ve played. I thought the passing was great, the discipline was really solid – communication was on. They really came out firing, which was nice to see.”

Facing a three-goal deficit, SHG came out especially fired up in the third quarter. Drawing a penalty corner, the Tigers capitalized on the opportunity. Rousseau sent the insert pass to Collins, who drove a shot into the cage, cutting the Gators’ edge to 3-1 with 12:20 remaining in the third quarter.

Rousseau then brought the Tigers to within one goal at the 4:18 mark of the third quarter. Controlling the ball in heavy traffic in the circle, Rousseau lifted a high shot that found its way inside the right post of the goal, making it a 3-2 game and prompting a GA timeout.

“We had to make a lot of movements in the field,” Gheorghe said of the halftime adjustments his team made. “The lineup was completely different. We had to match up with their physicality and athleticism.”

For GA, it wasn’t a surprise to see SHG start the third quarter solidily.

“Sacred Heart is such a great team, they came out really strong and they were hungry to win it,” Schmitz noted. “I think we did a good job of resetting from that and staying composed. After that we were able to get back on our feet and build momentum.”

“They definitely turned it up in the third quarter and we had to regroup,” Brower said. “But I was proud with how our team battled in the fourth quarter, that was not easy.”

Both squads drew penalty corners in the fourth quarter and recorded several shots on goal. Yet the score remained the same, with host Greenwich Academy holding on to its 3-2 lead and holding off Sacred Heart for the win.

There were plenty of tense moments in the fourth quarter, with the Tigers threatening to tie the score and the Gators trying to hold on to their one-goal advantage. Sacred Heart took several penalty corners in the final quarter but didn’t tally the equalizer.

Senior goalie Ella Loehnis stepped up, making several saves in the final quarter alone and a number of more saves throughout the game for the Gators.

“It’s super nerve wracking, I feel like I have a great, strong force field of defense in front of me, so that always helps a lot,” Loehnis said.

Walker, sophomore Penny Perkins and freshman Barrett Hanson helped pace GA’s defense, while Rizzi and Lahey led the squad up front and Schmitz, senior Mia Jones and sophomore Cordelia Blanc patrolled the midfield.

Collins, Rousseau and Joanna Eken helped create opportunities for offensively for the Tigers, who were led defensively by Caeley Clough and Kinley Diercksen. Liv Starr made three saves in goal for SHG.

“We scored two goals and we had more chances in the second half,” said Gheorghe, who coaches a lot of players on both teams for the AGH Field Hockey Club that he operates. “I wish we played like that from the beginning. Overall, the defense did a decent job, the midfield did a good job.”

Walker knew it was all about focus defensively, especially late in the fourth quarter.

“When we organized it helped and then it wasn’t it showed,” Walker said. “I’m super proud, we put so much work and effort into this. We always feel like this game is such a mental game for us too, with Alex being so many people’s club coach and just knowing so many people.”

Said Rizzi: “It’s always a really exciting game. I love how both teams can play together, despite playing with each other on the offseason. It’s the most competitive game I’ve ever experienced and I love it so much.”

Loehnis shared her thoughts about playing in goal against Sacred Heart for the first time.

“Our team was electric the first half,” she said. “t’s always super fun as a goalie coming out strong in the first half to ease the nerves. Obviously, Sacred Heart is always a really strong team. This is my first year on the team as a goalie, I’ve never played goalie before.”

Sacred Heart hosts a formidable Greens Farms Academy team tomorrow (Oct. 20) at 4:15 p.m. GA travels to Loomis Chaffee School on Oct. 22 for a 3:45 p.m, matchup.

“We’re a young team, but we work so cohesively together and it’s so fun playing with them,” Lahey said. “We think every single person on the team works for the better of the team and works so hard for us to win,” Walker noted.

Here’s a look at the results of the season series between Greenwich Academy and Sacred Heart Greenwich since the 2017 season.

2017: The teams went 1-1 against each other, with GA winning the regular season game and SHG taking the FAA Tournament title matchup.

2018: Sacred Heart went 2-0 vs. GA.

2019: The squads split their two games, with Sacred Heart winning in the regular season and GA winning in the FAA Tournament title game.

2021: SHG was 2-0 against Greenwich Academy.

2022: The Tigers and Gators met four times, going 2-2 against each other. Sacred Heart went 2-0 in the regular season and GA won in the FAA final and in the NEPSAC Class A Tournament.

2023: Sacred Heart won the regular season game and GA defeated SHG in the FAA final.

2024: SHG went 2-1 vs. GA, winning in the regular season and FAA Tournament final and GA was victorious in the NEPSAC quarterfinals.

To the left, Georgia Schmitz of Greenwich Academy and to the right, Quinn Lahey of GA after defeating Sacred Heart.