Teams compete in 7-on-7 matches at Thomas College's Victories over Violence tournament.

WATERVILLE — Seven-on-seven field hockey is here because there is limited space to play the sport in the limited time available.

But make no mistake: Field hockey players and coaches can learn a lot, even with fewer people on the field, and that's exactly what they did Friday at Thomas University's “Victories over Violence” tournament, when one of the fields was reduced to 7-on-7 matches.

“I love 7-on-7 hockey,” Gardiner head coach Jess Merrill said. “It's a small-group field hockey that really teaches you to use your skills. You have to be good at passing and keep moving around the field. I think it's awesome and if I get the chance I'd love to try it.”

In fact, two well-received 7-on-7 matches were played at Thomas Smith Field during the five-hour tournament, giving players the opportunity to hone a variety of skills while alternating between playing seven-a-side and 11-a-side.

A 7-on-7 game is, of course, much smaller than an 11-player game. There are fewer players on the field, sure, but the field is also smaller, measuring 60 yards wide and 45 yards long when played as two vertical fields within a larger horizontal field, as was done Friday at Thomas.

What's the most important difference in gameplay? Passing is important in any field hockey game, but it's even more important in 7v7. With fewer players, it's harder to create scoring opportunities, which puts added pressure on players to make the perfect pass to lead their teammate to the goal.

“It's such a small game, so if you can make good passes and be able to do that reliably on a big field, it really helps,” Messalonski's Chloe Michaud said. “It brings out your strengths but also exposes your weaknesses and lets you know what you need to improve on.”

Skowhegan's Cedaria Savage (1) escapes Mount Blue's Lily Huntley during the “Victories over Violence” field hockey tournament Friday at Thomas College in Waterville. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

Hannah Fair, one of Michaud's Messalonske teammates, said playing 7-on-7 puts more responsibility on players. They have to cover more of the field and there's more running involved than playing 11. Offensive players have to drop back more to play defense, she added.

Still, in a 7-on-7 game, there's a way players stay close together while covering that much ground — Skowhegan's Cedaria Savage said opponents are right there, challenging players as soon as they get the ball — and it's a physical level that complements a complex game.

“It's a lot more packed space, you get the ball and somebody's right on top of you,” Savage said. “It's more of a mental battle. You can play a lot better 11-on-11, but 7-on-7 makes it a little harder. It's a different set-up, a different type of game, different dynamics.”

Many teams play 7-on-7 games in the summer, and some, like Lawrence University, participate exclusively in 7-on-7 leagues. Messalonski head coach Katie Brann noted her players enjoy having fewer players on the field and more touch time on the ball, and Merrill said the smaller-group games could have literal applications later on.

“We're going to play 7-on-7 in overtime so this is great practice for us because we have to be prepared in case we get into that situation during the game,” Merrill said. “We probably need to play more 7-on-7 so a day like this will be great practice and experience for us to take forward.”

Friday's game at Thomas marked the fourth year that the tournament, an annual fundraiser hosted by Skowhegan, has been held as “Victory for Violence.” It was previously held as “The Fight for Breast Cancer” from 2011-2020.

All 13 team members raised money for the Family Violence Project throughout the summer, and players and coaches also attended an information session early Friday about this year's educational offerings, which focused on psychological violence, something Skowhegan's Ellie Quinn took seriously.

“There's a lot of aspects of domestic violence that aren't as obvious as you might think,” Quinn said. “When we think of domestic violence, we often think of physical violence, but there's also an emotional and psychological component, and it was important for me to know some of those signs.”

Copy story link

” previous