The Pilgrim field hockey team has continued to emerge as one of the top contenders in the state as the fall regular season nears its midway point.

The Lady Patriots have jumped out to a 4-0-1 record, topping some of the best teams in the division and climbing their way to first place in Division III.

The Pats topped visiting Cranston East 4-0 last week in a lopsided win. Mikaila Rastella led Pilgrim with a pair of goals in the win while Olivia Paquet and Olivia Monti each added one apiece. Trinity Reilly, Ainsley Canning and Audrey Paquet all added assists.

“Our midfield got into the game more and stepped up a lot. That was definitely a key element for us, our midfield has been playing better each game which is what helps us control both sides. Mikaila, Trinity and Lydia Ramsden, those three are having a big impact,” said Pilgrim coach Stephanie Shields.

Although Pilgrim was considered the heavy favorite heading into the matchup, as the Thunderbolts were winless entering, Shields felt that it was important for her team to get the win and to continue to set the tone for the rest of the season.

“(Cranston East goalie) Destiny Thorpe had a great game, she came up with a lot of big saves and as a team they had a few more opportunities in the second half. We need to keep the momentum going from game to game and never settle and just roll through a game because we think we should win … anything can happen, one bad bounce and things go differently. We need to continue to battle hard regardless of where the (opposition) is in the standings,” said Shields.

The only contest that did not result in a win for Pilgrim was against Rocky Hill, who is also undefeated at 3-0-1. Division III is perhaps the top-heaviest group in the state, as Pilgrim, Rocky Hill, Toll Gate, and defending champion Tiverton have been in a dogfight to this point and will likely need to wait until the final day of the schedule to determine postseason seeding.

“(Rocky Hill) is at the top, Tiverton is always toward the top, Toll Gate is hanging in there, we are all pretty equal when you look at the scores and sometimes it’s tough to tell. It will be a great matchup when (Rocky Hill) comes to Pilgrim, they are looking like they are making the playoffs … we both look like we’ll be making the playoffs, so we could very well see them in an elimination game,” said Shields. “That’s why that momentum is so important every game and not sitting back while also improving on all the little things both at practice and during games.”

Pilgrim has enjoyed a short layoff, and will hit the road on Friday to take on Tiverton. Shields and company are excited to see how they stack up against the defending champs, and to continue to prove that they are the top team in Division III.

“It’s always been close games with them, historically. We are going into this game like we go into all of our games … we’re going to need to step up,” said Shields. “We need to make sure that we’re doing all the little things well, they are at the top every year, so it will be important to go in with the right mindset.”