Senior Day is the game every athlete looks forward to throughout their career. It’s the day that celebrates all the hard work and dedication they have put into becoming the best players they can be. The field hockey program demonstrated how grateful they were for the graduating class of 2025 and how loved they were. Senior Day showed that the field hockey program isn’t just a team; it’s a family.

The “Festivities”

It is a tradition that the juniors make the seniors feel special on their big day. It started with each of the ten seniors getting a poster hung on their locker in the team room covered in inside jokes, and funny/cute pictures. Sashes and plastic crowns lined the bench in the team room to make the girls feel like royalty. During the game, the posters hung along the wall of the school closest to the team’s bench. The parents’ club also had yard signs lining the field, each with a picture of the player, their number, and name across it.

At half time the junior varsity team held their sticks in the air, making a tunnel for the seniors to run through. Coach Erica Thomas called their names and spoke about each player as they ran through the tunnel.  Coach Brittany Deutsch handed each player a bouquet. Once Coach Thomas was finished, she called all of the players’ loved ones onto the field, and Coach Elizabeth Neaton took their picture.

Coach Thomas went beyond Freehold Township’s seniors.  She also called Middletown North’s senior players onto the field. She then proceeded to introduce each of them and hand them each a flower to include them in the senior day festivities.

The game ended in a one-to-nil win with the lone goal being scored by captain Abi Milano. Chloe Richards had the assist.  Goalie Sydney Friedenberg earned her first shut-out of the 2024 season.

After the game, each Junior delivered a heartwarming speech about what an impact their assigned senior made on their field hockey journey. They also made a gift basket packed with the players’ favorite drinks, snacks, and sweets. Senior Day was a day to remember, not just for the seniors, but for all in attendance.

A few of the seniors took time to talk to The Patriot Press as their season concluded.

Graduating Seniors

Abi Milano

Abi plays forward and is one of the three captions. She started playing more than six years ago when her mom convinced her to by saying she’d make amazing memories . . . which she did. Even though she will not continue to play field hockey in college, she would tell new field hockey players to position themselves correctly or their backs will get shot! Her favorite memory is her junior year because of the “team bonding practices, sleepovers, and pasta parties. The bonding portion in general because we all became so close”. 

Sienna Anstett   

Sienna’s field hockey journey started her freshman year of high school. She plays midfield and is amazing at it! Now that it’s the end of her field hockey high school career she is looking back on all the fun she’s had these past four years. She is excited to continue her field hockey journey and hopes to continue playing throughout college. Her favorite part about Freehold Township field hockey is that she met her best friends saying, “The class of 24 and 25 were all such close friends and it made everything so fun..” She would tell those who are just starting field hockey to never give up. Something that several people are surprised to learn about Sienna is that she has never scored. Though she hasn’t helped the team through points, she’s been an amazing asset through her passes and amazing teamwork

Alyssa Constagliola

Alyssa started playing field hockey to keep active between lacrosse seasons and has been playing since 7th grade. She is a defender and is another one of the three captains.  Now that it’s her last season playing field hockey, I asked her how she felt about her career ending. “It’s definitely bittersweet, I will miss my teammates and coaches, but, I am ready for the next step in my future.”  Her favorite moment from her high school field hockey career is when the team beat Colts Neck this year because of how the team worked together to earn that victory. To new field hockey players, she would tell them to just have fun and push themselves. Her teammates are the major reason she returned to the sport every year saying, “We always made so many great memories and I will miss all of them the most”.

Gabby Dannon

Gabby started playing field hockey in seventh grade and has been playing for six years. She is an amazing defender and has always played that position. Though she is not continuing field hockey in college, she hopes to get involved in a club or intramural team. Now that it was the end of her final season, I asked how she was feeling.  “I am sad to know that I won’t be playing with the same team again, but I’ve had a great four years and made amazing memories.” Her favorite memory, like many others, was the Halloween practices because she enjoyed seeing all the other grades’ costumes and the friendly but fierce competition between grade levels. She is going to miss the team more than anything else because of all the memories she’s made on and off the field. To new field hockey players, she tells them to make sure they run and train over the summer, but most importantly to make sure they are having fun while doing it.

Jeannette Norton

The final captain Jeannette plays forward, but in previous seasons had played defense and midfield. She started playing to make new friends and has stuck with the sport for seven years. Now that her high school career is ending, she said it’s a weird feeling to know she won’t be playing with her teammates again. Jeannette is going to continue playing field hockey through clubs to stay in shape. If she were to talk to herself before her first ever field hockey tryout, she would tell herself “Not to stress too much, and enjoy the time you have.” The thing she will miss most about field hockey is her teammates because they made her love the sport more than she already did.