The Watertown High School field hockey team has broken the national record for consecutive shutouts, surpassing a mark that stood for nearly a quarter century.
The Raiders topped Melrose 7-0 on Thursday, October 12, notching their 33rd straight shutout. The previous record of 32 was set in 1998-1999 by Garden City, New York.
The streak has spanned both the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The Raiders have not conceded a goal since September 10, 2022 when they defeated Andover 2-1.
This is the latest national record set by the Raiders, who are led by Hall of Fame Head Coach Eileen Donahue. Watertown holds the United States high school record for consecutive games won – 184 – when the Raiders went unbeaten in a stretch from 2008-2017.
The Raiders have won back-to-back state championships and have won 20 state titles during Donahue’s 38 seasons at the helm.
"I am very proud of the 2022 and 2023 teams having a national record of not allowing a goal in 33 games,” said Coach Donahue. “They had to work hard, be consistent, and take on many competitive teams. The offense in any sport seems to get the most attention. But it's the defense that holds everything together. In practice, we work just as hard on our defense as offense. It's not glamorous, but when you can get a whole team playing tough defense as one, it helps the team play more competitively in the games."
Donahue was inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2020. She has more years coached (38) than career losses (34). Donahue is 746-34-46 during her time as Raiders head coach.
“The athletic department is incredibly proud of our field hockey program,” said Watertown Athletic Director Ryan Murphy. “They continue to expect excellence in all aspects. We are very fortunate to have such dedicated student-athletes and coaches to represent our town.”
Watertown field hockey also put together a 30-game shutout streak from 2013-2015, which ranks third all-time nationally.
The Raiders (13-0) are currently on a 65-game unbeaten streak and will begin their title defense in the MIAA Division III Tournament in the coming weeks.