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THE GUNNERY
Gunnery Field Hockey Struts its Stuff
T
he annual Play4TheCure field hockey game against Westover in support of cancer awareness was played under the lights at Barnes Field in October. This year, the team, under cocaptains Mikayla Michals ’16 and Jan Silverman ’16, as well as their fans and supporters, went over the top to produce a successful fundraiser and show of school spirit. The Highlanders won the game 4-0 and finished their regular season 10-5-1. Their first game in the playoffs was against Newton Country Day in Massachusetts on November 18.
Said Ms. Silverman, “I thought that we played one of our best games that night. We really worked well together and left it all out there on the field. The fans were incredible. The whole school supported us, and so far we’ve raised over $2,300, and money is still coming in through our fundraising page online, which is great. This season has been a great time, we’ve been really successful on and off the field.” Head Coach, Tanya Nongera, a former member of the junior national team of Zimbabwe, had whipped up enthusiasm by giving frequent reminders, and teaching the school a Zimbabwean war cry. Ms. Nongera’s powerful messages of strength and perseverance echoed around campus. The girls on the team worked hard to collect donations this fall on campus in hopes of reaching their goal of $2,000. Ms. Nongera created a CrowdRise webpage to enlist the help of Westover and Gunnery families and faculty. Both Westover and Gunnery had bake sales and candy jar competitions. There was also a halftime competition to add to the coffers.
Seated (L to R): Ashley Judson ’16, Grace van Tartwijk ’17, Jan Silverman ’16, Lena Mak ’16, Mikayla Michals ’16, Olivia Ogden ’16, Tabitha Franceschini ’18 Standing (L to R): Coach Nongera, Miranda Levin ’16, Juliet Perry ’19, Eleni Kolpak ’18, Philippa Solf ’17, Sarah Kelly ’17, Allie Paster ’17, Brittney Longo ’16, Mya Berretta ’17, Coach McMann
But probably the most unique and compelling competition was a commitment to the shaving of heads if the girls reached their goal. Although no girls signed up, a substantial number of boys and male faculty stepped up to the challenge. The whole community was reminded daily of the need for cancer research, as Mr. Balben, Mr. Gorman, Mr. Baudo, Mr. Cabrera and Mr. Badger from the faculty, and Chad Varney ’16, Gunny Lee ’16, Trevin Koslowski ’16, Connor Dahlman ’16, Kevin Sun ’16, and Brett Dooley ’16 proudly sported buzz cuts, which were performed by students to the delight of schoolmates and friends.
World Championship of Women’s Ice Hockey Gunnery sophomore and two-year member of the Varsity Girls’ Hockey team, Noemi “Nemo” Neubauerova was selected to play for the Czech Republic National U-18 Women’s Ice Hockey Team, which competed at the 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship from Jan. 8-15 in St. Catherines, Canada. Ms. Neubauerova, who competed in the U-18 IIHF’s last season, was named Team MVP for the Czech Republic team that won the gold in the Wickenheiser World Female Hockey Festival that was played in Calgary.
“I am very proud to represent my family, my country, and The Gunnery at the U-18 World Championships. I know this experience will help me grow as a person, student, and hockey player,” said Noemi. Her Gunnery coach, Kiernan Joyce, added, “This is a tremendous opportunity for Nemo to showcase her abilities on a big stage. We’re so proud of Nemo – and all our student-athletes, for their continued success in and out of the classroom. It’s a great honor for her and The Gunnery.”