This year, the Dartmouth High varsity field hockey team has three co-captains who already share a passion for the sport and years of playing both together and against each other.

Hannah Arruda, Sophia Sousa, and Erin Tetrault were all introduced to the sport by their parents. Sousa and Tetrault have been playing together on the same teams since the fourth grade through the Dartmouth Girls Athletic League (DGAL). Arruda started out with DGAL in the sixth grade, and competed against them.

Heading into their senior year, the group is already excited about the new season. The three have been practicing during the offseason together at a variety of clinics and programs.

“Last year was really good, and I think this year we are even more into it,” Tetrault said. “We all want it bad, and even the freshmen coming out, you can tell they’re all really serious.”

Now in a leadership role, the three agreed making sure teammates feel encouraged and motivated is a big priority this season, which the three hope to provide through their leadership.

It’s also a chance for the three to grow their own skills. Last season, Sousa was the leading goal scorer, and hopes to keep it up this season. Tetrault hopes to support her new teammates both on and off the field -- especially the freshmen. And Arruda is stepping into a new position too, as the team’s goalie.

“I just want to make sure it doesn’t show that it’s my first year [as goalie],” Arruda said. “I’ve been practicing and working in the offseason, so it’s definitely about trying not to look like it’s my first year playing goalie.”

According to their coach, Beth Arguin, that shouldn’t be a problem.

“They’ve been leaders all along, even though they were underclassmen last year, and some of them have had that leadership role in other sports,” Arguin said. “I think it’s a good balance between the three of them.”

With the team's first game set for September 4 against New Bedford, Arguin has been working to shape her varsity, junior varsity, and a new freshman team into shape. It’s been a record-setting turnout, with 52 girls this season, necessitating cuts for the first time in nearly five years.

“It was a good turnout this season for our sport,” Arguin said. “I do thank Sherri Tetrault and the DGAL program for keeping the interest going.”

This year, she hopes to make it as far as possible into the postseason, as well as build up camaraderie and encourage teammates to work together. The team will also have to make do without Laura Mendell, who transferred to Tabor Academy, and goalie Sarah Morin.