Summary

“Danvers vs. Masconomet” (1) opens during a high school field hockey game between the Danvers team, who is narrating the novel in the first-person plural, and the Masconomet Chieftains, their opponents. Danvers had not scored yet. The narration expresses disbelief that Danvers thought this year would be any different, implying that their lack of victories was a pattern. The game was at Camp Wildcat on the University of New Hampshire campus, where they were training during the summer. Eventually Danvers scored a goal, but they were still down by five. Abby Putman, the girl who scored the goal, was the only team member showing enthusiasm. The narration notes, “You couldn’t be a Putnam and live in Danvers and not be a believer” (2). After halftime, before returning to the field, the team formed a huddle and hit the ground with their sticks as...