BOSTON — The Canton girls varsity soccer team was forced to forfeit its Wednesday night game and drop out of the championship tourney, the Hockomock Cup, due to possible exposure to COVID-19.
The girls – division champions who won Canton High School’s first banner since 2012 – must quarantine for 14 days due to possible exposure to COVID-19, Boston 25 News has learned.
“This news was devastating for all of us, because we really aren’t just a fall family,” said senior Amy Hylen. “We have been growing together on and off the field since we played Kick Start when we were five years old.”
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association requires the fall soccer season to finish by Nov. 20, the MIAA told Boston 25 News.
In a letter to girls soccer families Tuesday, the high school principal and athletic director cited that date and explained that the players' quarantine is not over until Nov. 19. Therefore, the Hockomock League would not allow them to participate in the tournament.
The team they were scheduled to play, Attleboro, will advance to the next round.
“The Hockomock League has determined that the tournament may not be held up by more than a single day due to any team not being able to participate due to COVID-19-related issues,” the letter to families reads. “It was a very difficult decision for the league to make but it was a necessary decision in order to give the tournament the best possible chance of being played to its conclusion. Unfortunately, our team falls victim to this policy.”
Players who spoke with Boston 25 News Wednesday said they understand and appreciate the COVID-19 safety protocols, but they believe they are suffering by no fault of their own and they are asking the league to adjust its tournament schedule or postpone the cup to allow them to participate.
Players have created video messages and started a petition on Change.org collecting more than 1,500 signatures in one day. Co-captain Mia Gilmore sent a letter to all the athletic directors in the Hockomock League Wednesday.
“We are not asking to play tonight, we’re not asking to play tomorrow,” Mia said to Boston 25 News Wednesday. “We’re wanting to play next week once we’re all out of quarantine, after we’ve all gotten tested to make sure everyone is safe, so that we can have a true end to our season.”
The soccer season has been unprecedented – from wearing masks to practicing social distancing on the sidelines to minimizing contact and no longer doing throw-ins – but playing the game together has been a piece of much needed normalcy. The Canton High team has been able to bond at a time when interactions at school are limited during the coronavirus pandemic.
Seniors, in particular, are upset that the last game they played will be their final high school game, as it now stands. They hope their message to the league will get them back in the game.
“Being able to end this season – no matter how it ends – a win or a loss, I feel like at least it’s complete, and they put it all out there,” said Karrie Hylen, Amy’s mother.
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