The Montauk Mustangs have done it again.
For the second season in a row, the Montauk School’s field hockey team, led by coaches Kalie Burkle and Jennifer Jamet, was undefeated. This year’s team went 9-0-1, with just one tie — a 0-0 draw with Pierson early in the season.
“We are so proud of this group of girls. They are tremendous athletes, but, more importantly, they demonstrate outstanding character on and off the field that should make the entire Montauk community proud,” said Josh Odom, Montauk’s principal and district superintendent. “There was stiff competition from surrounding schools, and through it all our girls performed while embracing good sportsmanship, supporting their teammates, and demonstrating pure class on the field. Also, I have to give a shoutout to Coach Burkle and Coach Jamet. They’ve built a program that teaches life lessons far beyond field hockey. I can’t thank them enough for their efforts.”
The players were also quick to praise their coaches, who have worked together for more than a decade, including nine seasons at Montauk School. Both were varsity field hockey players at East Hampton High School in their time. Coach Jamet also played at Siena University.
“I think that the coaches put so much time and effort to teach us how to play as a team,” said Maggie Shea, an eighth-grade midfielder who played on both undefeated teams.
“I thought they really connected with us,” said Charlotte Vickers, an eighth grader who plays forward and has been on the team for two years. “They made the practices so fun. They always believed in us. They pushed us to the limit, taught us sportsmanship, and I feel like they made our team feel like a family.”
Coach Burkle called it a privilege.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to share this coaching journey with Jenn Jamet. This marks our ninth year coaching together at Montauk School, following our time coaching at the East Hampton High School varsity level. After all these years, we often find ourselves finishing each other’s sentences! We share the same passion for the game, our players, and helping young athletes grow both on and off the field.”
The undefeated season was not without its challenges. For several home games, Burkle and Jamet had to pull double duty as both coaches and referees.
“I think we reffed three or four of our five home games ourselves,” Jamet said. “It’s hard to get officials to come to Montauk. We were trying not to be biased and to coach at the same time. That was tough.”
They also had to adjust to different numbers of players on the field.
“Field hockey is traditionally played 11 versus 11, but due to lower numbers on opposing teams, we often found ourselves competing in a 7 versus 7 format,” Burkle explained. “This presented a unique challenge. Coach Jamet and I had to constantly adjust our strategies and find ways to get everyone involved, keep the girls moving, and make sure every player had an opportunity to contribute. It wasn’t always easy, but we made it work, and the girls rose to the challenge every single game.”
Both coaches were excited to finally work with this group of girls, who had developed a reputation as hardworking athletes even before joining the field hockey team. Should they choose to keep playing field hockey in high school, their current coaches say, their future coaches are in for a treat.
“Any coach would be excited to coach them,” Jamet said. “What we’re afraid of is that some of them will go to other sports because they’re so good at everything.”
Riley O’Brien, an eighth grader and midfielder, thinks she will give high school field hockey a shot.
“I’m planning on playing jayvee next year and I’m very excited for that and to see my progress,” she said. “Our coaches were so amazing and helped us achieve our goal of being undefeated twice. This is something I will always remember.”