Monomoy Blanks Clinton, Returns To State Semifinals For Third Straight Year

HARWICH – The Monomoy field hockey team is hopeful the third time proves to be the charm.

The third-seeded Sharks are returning to the Division 4 state semifinals for a third consecutive year after defeating No. 11 Clinton 3-0 in the quarterfinals Saturday in Harwich.

Monomoy (16-2-3) will meet second-seeded Manchester Essex (17-1-2) in the semifinals at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Hingham High School.

“The goal was to be the first Monomoy team to go back-to-back-to-back to the state semifinals,” said Monomoy’s second-year coach Kyle Cappallo. “Now we’ll try to win the next one and be the first Monomoy team to make it to the state final.”

Sophomore Samantha Clarke opened the scoring, while freshmen Emery Cappallo and Sage Harrison also added goals for Monomoy, which could have easily pulled away for a lopsided victory had it not been for Clinton’s senior goalie, Kaela Ciarletta, who made 14 saves for the visiting Gaels (20-1-0).

“Their goalie kept them in it, it could’ve easily been 6-0 or 7-0,” coach Cappallo said. “Our [defense] took away any threat from the middle of the field, and our forwards were solid with tons of pressure and got the corners that we needed. We have a lot of talent on this team, and they can come through.”

Monomoy earned 13 penalty corners throughout the game, and each of its three goals came off of corners.

The Sharks didn’t allow the Gaels to record a single shot on goal, as junior Ella Reeves and Cassidi Manchuk anchored a backline that has yet to allow a goal this postseason. Monomoy has outscored its three playoff opponents by a combined 17-0 en route to the semifinals.

The team will have to be at its best at both ends of the field against Manchester Essex, which opened its playoff run with a 7-0 win over Bromfield, followed by a 7-1 victory over St. John Paul II and a 5-0 win over Hopedale in the quarterfinals.

After falling to Uxbridge in the semifinals the past two seasons, Monomoy is excited to see a new opponent with a chance to reach the state championship on the line. If the Sharks do advance, they know they’ll likely meet Uxbridge, which is set to square off against Sutton in the semifinals on the other side of the bracket.

“[Uxbridge] is probably the stiffest competition there is, but the [semifinal] is winnable, there’s no question about it,” coach Cappallo said.

For Monomoy’s players, heading back to the state semifinals is a reflection of the hard work the team has put into this season since it first started meeting for practices in August.

“This feels amazing,” said Emery Cappallo, a Barnstable resident. “Our team has really come together to work together. We’ve put in a lot of work and it’s really paid off.”

Clarke said the team has felt like it has what it takes to reach the state championship since it first came together in the preseason.

“I feel like from the beginning, we’ve felt that we could make it further than we did [the past two] years,” said Clarke, a Harwich Port resident. “We’ve been getting ourselves ready for this — mentally and physically — and that has helped us a lot.”

When it comes to Wednesday’s semifinal, Emery Cappallo said the game plan is simple.

“Get goals early,” she said. “We’re going to try to really work together as a team and hype each other up and try our best.”

** Editor's Note: If you are unable to attend tonight’s semifinal, follow sports reporter Brad Joyal on X (formerly Twitter) at @bradjoyal for live updates throughout the game. Visit Capecodchronicle.com for an online recap after the game.**