Groton — The new Groton Middle School rests just down a small hill from where Fitch played Killingly in a field hockey game on Monday. It has been shut down until Oct. 16 due to a member of the school community testing positive for COVID-19.

It is front-and-center in the minds of the Fitch players that, any moment now, their school — and season — could be next.

The Falcons have a new turf field at the middle school, though, and they christened it with a 6-0 win over Killingly in an Eastern Connecticut Conference game.

"Oh, my gosh I love the new field!," Fitch senior co-captain Jessica Russo exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "This field is amazing!"

Falcons junior Bridget O'Leary said, "I'm so excited. I'm sad that we didn't have it last year because that was my sister's (Maggie) senior year, but it's good to be out on (it)."

O'Leary and Russo each had two goals and an assist for Fitch (2-0). Junior Kara Moriarty and senior-co-captain Kylee Wtulich both scored, sophomore Ashleigh Holmes had two assists, and junior Madison Kite-Gerrish had three saves.

Emma Barbeau had six saves for Killingly (0-1).

Killingly was scheduled to open the season at Norwich Free Academy this past Saturday. The game was postponed after Norwich shut down its public schools last week due to the city's increase in COVID-19 cases.

There is a difference between playing field hockey on turf than grass because the ball moves with more speed and allows players to play faster. The Falcons have not been able to play at that pace at home because they played on the high school's grass baseball field. Sometimes, play would spill on to the dirt infield.

"It was a wreck," Russo said. "This is so much better. When teams showed up and looked at our field they made that face like, 'Oh, my gosh, what type of field are we playing on today?' It is a big transition going from grass to the turf."

Okay, but wouldn't playing on a grass (and dirt) field provide a home field advantage?

"I wouldn't even call it that," Russo laughed. "It was a disadvantage for everyone playing on the grass. ... We're going to play a lot better (on turf)."

Fitch head coach Diane Kolnaski said, "You see their skills improve so much because they're on turf. ... The skills (we were) teaching them all the time on an uneven grass field, it's just harder for them to learn how to execute as well. And now they're passing better, their drives up field are better, their attack is better.

"They've improved in so many ways."

The new turf field is yet another win for Fitch, the primary win being that it can play during the pandemic.

"Even now, we don't know what's coming," O'Leary said. "It can be shut down at any time, so we're kind of just taking it day by day and being grateful that we are playing."

Russo said, "When I'm out on the field playing, it's not even like COVID is actually happening. I'm out there with the players and it feels great."

n.griffen@theday.com