FEATURE | Talkin’ ’bout my generation

Biddeford celebrated the 50th anniversary of its field hockey team Wednesday during a special ceremony that included members of the original 1976 team and some younger players who will have to wait a few more years to play on the high school team.

By RANDY SEAVER | Editor

Fifty years ago – September 1976 — Jimmy Carter was running for president; America was celebrating its bicentennial and the Bee Gees topped the Billboard charts with their hit “You Should Be Dancing.”

Meanwhile, something else happened in 1976. Biddeford High School debuted its very first field hockey team, coached by the passion of Sandra Girard who had no previous coaching experience.

During halftime at Wednesday’s match between the undefeated (5-0) Lady Tigers and the 4-1 Thornton Academy Trojans, Waterhouse Field went through a bit of a time warp as dozens of players from the past 50 years gathered at center field to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Biddeford’s field hockey team.

**TIGER PRIDE** | Players from the original 1976 Biddeford Field Hockey Team posed for a photo during a half-time ceremony to celebrate Biddeford field hockey players from the past 50 years. (L-R) Connie Goulet, Diane Tremblay, Madeline Goulet, Jeanne Gagnon and Louise Verville | *Biddeford Gazette photo by Randy Seaver*

“We wore turtlenecks,
and the skirts came
down to our knees.”
— Jeanne Gagnon

Among those former players were Connie Goulet, Jeanne Gagnon, Louise Verville, Madeline Goulet and Diane Tremblay – all members of the very first Biddeford Field Hockey team.

“It was a lot different back then,” Connie Goulet recalled, looking up and down the field where she once ran her heart out with a stick and determination.

“It sure was,” said Jeanne Gagnon. “We wore turtlenecks and the skirts came down to our knees,” she laughed.

Verville said the field was different, most notably a lack of lights for night games. “But it was so much fun,” she recalled. “Goalies didn’t even wear a mask.”

**A COLLECTION OF FORMER BIDDEFORD FIELD HOCKEY PLAYERS** — From the past 50 years | *Biddeford Gazette photo by Randy Seaver*

But while one generation was being honored, another generation of very young players – age six to 12 were excitedly cheering on the varsity team during their grudge match with rivals Thornton Aacademy.

Members of the Biddeford Youth Field Hockey team served as an honor guard, forming a corridor of enthusiastic greeters as members of the varsity squad were called onto the field.

CUBS CHEERING FOR TIGERS

“It’s really a lot of fun for them,” said Julia Viger, one of the coaches of the youth team, which is sponsored by the Biddeford Recreation Department. “They really look up to the team – and they love being part of all the positive energy.”

At halftime, neither Biddeford nor Thornton had scored.

According to fan reports, Biddeford defeated Thornton 1-0 in OT thriller

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