The Gloucester High School varsity field hockey team, under the direction of new head coach Joe Dougherty, opened the 2021 season with a 14-goal shutout of the visiting Granby Comets last Thursday.

Nine different Gloucester players scored in the Granby win and five scored twice. Alexis Adams and Channy Johnson each scored twice and each contributed two scoring assists. Aubree Dorsey, Kailee Morris and Alanna Womack also had two goals each.

Ainslee Brown, Reese Miller, Lily Perger and Abygail Clayton also scored. Mackenzi Reece added three assists, Chrissy Masiak had two and Kiley Parker had one. Overall, the Dukes took 44 shots on goal and earned 26 penalty corners.

Granby could not get a shot on the Gloucester goal largely due to the shutdown defense of Avery Watkins, Leigha Germain, Adams and Morris and the Dukes’ midfielders controlled the game from the opening whistle.

Dougherty said his team displayed “plenty of unselfish play throughout” in dominating the season open...