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Chariho and Tiverton field hockey meet again with a title on the line
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- Chariho and Tiverton field hockey meet again with a title on the line
CUMBERLAND – It was always supposed to be these two.
Chariho/Prout and Tiverton/Bay View field hockey were chasing each other all season. The first-seeded Chargers didn't lock in their top spot until the final days of the regular season. And the second-ranked Tigers claimed a pair of one-goal wins against the Chargers earlier this fall.
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Seedings and regular-season victories don't matter now. The two will play once more – a 5 p.m. meeting at Roger Williams University on Sunday, Nov. 1, for the Division III title.
Vivian Smith sent the Chargers past Smithfield in a 1-0 finish at Tucker Field on Tuesday, Oct. 27. And Tiverton's Ava MacFarlane provided similar heroics in a 1-0 overtime finish against Toll Gate in the nightcap.
"We knew what to expect," Smith said. "We trained our corners. We knew how we were going to play and what the calls were going to be. But we also had a lot of trust in ourselves to get that shot in and stay determined for that goal."
"I just wanted to come out and prove it to myself this year," MacFarlane said. "My main reason for playing today was, I played at 3 years old. I wanted to come out and play for that little kid that I used to be."
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Read on below for more on the Division III field hockey semifinals from Cumberland.
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Chariho/Prout field hockey celebrates itswin over Smithfield in the Division III semifinals.
Chariho heads to the title
Smith attended Chariho's previous chance at history. Her rebound shot was too perfect to not lead the Chargers' return to that stage. She finally snuck one past Mia Howard, who starred with 14 saves in the loss, with 6:18 left in the second quarter.
Her shot from right of the cage capped off a dominant first half for the Chargers (8-5-1). Chances were plentiful for the top seed as the Chargers head to their third championship appearance overall and their first since 2023. A win on the final day of the season would land the program's first title.
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"I just thought we needed to look for the open girl," Smith said. "Look for the open space and just slam it in, because we knew Smithfield's goalie was really good. We knew to just keep our sticks down, getting it and keep slamming it in, we'd get it in somehow."
Chariho/Prout field hockey celebrates the winning goal against Smithfield in the Division III semifinals.
Chariho won corners 7-1, and Smithfield's opportunity didn't land until late in the second half. The goalie tandem of Nola Bellnier and Gabrielle Brennick combined for three saves in the shutout. The two switched at halftime, with Brennick taking the final 30 minutes of winning time.
"I think our defense has worked so hard this year," Bellnier said. "I think we have a lot of trust in each other. A lot of us on defense have worked with each other for two or three years, so we kind of know what to expect from each other."
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It's just the second year of the Chariho/Prout co-op. The program went 2-12-1 last year in D-II but dropped to D-III this fall and built a winning opportunity. They'll have to beat a Tiverton team that toppled the Chargers twice this season, including a 2-1 final on Oct. 15.
"I watched them play in the championship," Smith said. "So going to the actual championship with the team, and to win it would be really cool."
Tiverton/Bay View field hockey celebrates its win over Toll Gate in the Division III semifinals.
MacFarlane OT hero again
MacFarlane had little interest in extending Tuesday night. Her winner, off a corner, came just 2:14 into the extra frame, as there were Sunday plans to be made. It's the second overtime winner the junior has provided in the last three games after toppling Chariho in that mid-October meeting in Richmond.
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Smith equalized for Chariho with 6:35 left in regulation before MacFarlane lifted the Tigers (11-3) 90 seconds into overtime. That duo is almost certain to score again on Sunday as this long-awaited championship game finally arrives.
"I scored the game-winning goal the other day, and today I wanted to come out and do the same exact thing," MacFarlane said. "In the corner, it just happened to come to me. I turned it and I saw the open corner [in the cage] and I got it in that corner."
Tiverton has had its success against the Chargers this year. That'll add a bit of confidence before Sunday's meeting, but like any team this time of the year, they're playing for each other before the season closes for everyone.
"I'm excited to go with this team," MacFarlane said. "We have so many seniors, and I just want them to win a championship. They're not going to be here next year, and this is the first time this program has been here [in eight years]. We want to come back, and with these coaches, they've never been to the championship either."
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Chariho and Tiverton field hockey meet again with a title on the line
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