After winning their first two games of the season, girls’ varsity field hockey faced a mighty challenge on Wednesday, Sep. 4, going up against the Saint Ignatius Wildcats.
Saint Ignatius put pressure on the Giants early, consistently pushing the ball deep into Redwood territory. However, senior defenders Francesca Mitchell and Julia Delsol held strong, diverting any potential attacks from disaster with strong deflections and stick work. Offensively, Redwood struggled to enter into the Wildcats’ half of the field despite strong efforts by juniors Caitlin Titcombe and Lucy Jeffers.

Eventually, the Wildcats punctured through the defense with multiple shots on goal, but sophomore goalie Eva Layton halted the attacks; she made two crucial saves, keeping forceful shots from entering the back of the net. At halftime, the score was tied 0-0, with Redwood needing a different approach offensively if they wanted to secure another victory. Saint Ignatius continued to possess the ball for the majority of the third quarter, and finally pulled ahead nine minutes in. After the entry pass on a short corner, a Wildcat fired a shot too powerful for any Giant to deflect, landing in the back of the net. The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead, which they held for the rest of the afternoon.
Redwood fought hard and played strong defense, but lacked the offensive drive needed to win. Their next match is Friday at 4 p.m. against Marin Academy.