Field Hockey: Wolverines Ready to Defend TVL Large Crown with Experienced Roster

The Westwood Field Hockey team learned an important lesson on its way to a TVL Large championship last fall: a season does not have to start perfectly to end exactly where you want it.
 
After struggling to find their rhythm during the opening weeks of 2025, the Wolverines steadily developed into one of the stronger teams in Division 2. Westwood captured the TVL Large championship and carried its momentum into the MIAA Division 2 State Tournament, advancing  to the Elite Eight, with a memorable win over Masconomet highlighting the postseason run.
 
As head coach Heather Joyce prepares her team to defend that league title, the experience of last season has shaped her approach to 2026.
 
“Trusting the process a little bit more this year is going to help,” Joyce said. “Not panicking if things aren’t going the way we want. The team will flow. Sometimes it just takes a little bit of time working together.”
 
There is plenty of reason for optimism. Westwood returns six starters and features a group of 10 seniors that Joyce expects to set the tone. Seniors Bridget Hughes, Gillian Walsh, Emma Kenneally and Claire Kenneally will serve as captains, but Joyce emphasized that leadership extends throughout the entire class.
 
“The entire senior class has just been fantastic,” Joyce said. “It’s not just them leading the group.”
 
Hughes, who was named the top multi-sport athlete during the Westwood Living Sports Awards Show last season, will be the centerpiece of the Wolverines offensive attack. A fixture at center midfield since her sophomore season, Hughes has always been one of the team’s most dependable two-way players. This fall, Joyce wants to see her become even more aggressive with the ball.
 
“She knows that she’s allowed to take the ball and she’s allowed to take the shots,” Joyce said. “Previously, she’s been afraid to be selfish and she’s really worked as someone who can dish the ball. Defensively, she’s always been ridiculously reliable, but I’m enjoying seeing her gain some confidence on the offensive end.”
 
Joyce is also excited about what she has seen during the preseason from Ciara Shevory, while returning forwards Julie Hogan and Emma FitzPatrick could be poised for larger roles.
 
“The two of them are really underrated players,” Joyce said. “I’m looking forward to seeing them just absolutely explode this year.”
 
Perhaps the biggest question facing the defending champions is in goal. Moira Kenneally, a major presence during Westwood’s championship season and tournament run, graduated and is now continuing her field hockey career at Bryant University.
 
Junior Reese Lipton is positioned to step into that vacancy after being promoted to varsity for last year’s postseason. Joyce was impressed by how naturally Lipton assimilated into the group.
 
“She jumped right in last year and it felt like she had been part of the team the whole season,” Joyce said. “Just an absolute workhorse. Really positive attitude and just really cares about her team.”
 
Sophomore Heidi Golloshi gives Westwood another developing option in net. Golloshi will spend most of her time at the JV level while practicing with varsity and potentially seeing some varsity action, as well.
 
“Moira is an amazing goalie,” Joyce said. “But I don’t think it’s crisis mode where all of a sudden we have no one. I think people are going to be surprised that it’s not going to be this enormous hole.”
 
The Wolverines open against Norwood on Tuesday, September 8, a matchup Joyce appreciates for the Mustangs’ coaching, competitiveness and sportsmanship. The TVL Large schedule will include two meetings with Medfield, which returns to the Large division, while Dover-Sherborn figures to present another significant challenge. A non-league matchup with Natick will provide another difficult test.
 
That challenging schedule is intentional, as Joyce likes to load up the slate with competitive regular season games to prepare her team for the intensity of the postseason. 
 
As always, Westwood enters 2026 with championship expectations, but Joyce is also keeping an eye on what comes next. Two sophomores and two freshmen have joined the varsity roster, giving the Wolverines an opportunity to develop their next wave while relying heavily on an accomplished senior class.
 
“We’ve got a good mixture of young and new,” Joyce said. “Hopefully, it’s not just success this year, but developing for success in the future as well. That’s kind of the goal this year.”
 
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