Massachusetts high school field hockey player loses teeth after shot from male on woman’s team

A Massachusetts high school student-athlete had her teeth knocked out and suffered “significant facial” injuries when an opposing male player shot a field hockey ball at her face during a playoff game on Thursday.

The horrific accident happened during a playoff match between Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School and Swampscott High School.

The male player, who attends Swampscott, is seen winding back his stick to take a shot on the net but drills the opposing female defender directly in the face.

A loud ‘thud’ is heard seconds before the girl drops to the ground, screaming in agonizing pain.

Players on the field were visibly distraught over the injury as Dighton-Rehoboth staff rushed from the sidelines to administer aid to the injured player.

“Last night, a female field hockey player for the Dighton Rehoboth Regional High School girls’ field hockey team sustained significant facial and dental injuries when she was struck in the face by a shot in the third quarter versus Swampscott in an MIAA state playoff contest,” Dighton Rehoboth’s Superintendent Bill Runey wrote in a letter obtained by WCVB.

“This injury required hospitalization. The player, her family, teammates, and coaches remain in my prayers.”

The female athlete lost two teeth and her condition is unclear, according to the outlet.

“The shot was taken by a male member of the Swampscott girls’ field hockey team,” Runey stated in his letter to parents.

Following the on-field horror, Runey is calling for a change in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) rules that have been in place since the 1970s.

“While I understand that the MIAA has guidelines in place for co-ed participation under section 43 of their handbook, this incident dramatically magnifies the concerns of many about player safety,” Runey wrote.

MIAA states in its handbook that “no student shall be denied in any implied or explicit manner the opportunity to participate in any interscholastic activity because of gender.”

Schools could deny a student to play a sport based on gender if the school “offers a girls’ team and a boys’ team” for the same sport, the association writes in its rules.

But in cases where there is a “single team in a particular sport,” schools must allow a student to join “to ensure that the school’s gendered designation of athletic opportunities complies with Title IX.”

“For any male athlete that’s participating in a female sport, there are zero restrictions. So I’m looking for the MIAA to facilitate some conversations to have some middle ground in terms of player safety,” Runey told the outlet.

He writes that he understands MIAA’s rules but believes they should be reviewed for players’ safety in co-ed competition.

“Seeing the horror in the eyes of our players and coaches upon greeting their bus last night is evidence to me that there has to be a renewed approach by the MIAA to protect the safety of our athletes,” Runey stated in his letter.

Swampscott Public Schools Athletic Director Kelly Wolff confirmed the player who took the shot was a male 4-year varsity student and co-captain, according to the outlet.

Wolff firmly believes that the male student “has the exact same right to participate as any player on any team.”

MIAA also released a statement following the accident, writing the organization “supports our 383 member schools and all student-athletes as we strive to create a welcoming, safe and belonging atmosphere for all participants.”

The MIAA cited the Massachusetts Equal Rights Amendment — which has been a rule in scholastic sports in the state since 1979 — that discriminates based on gender.

“The association and member schools must adhere to all federal and state laws to assure equitable opportunities for students of different sexes or genders,” the statement obtained by WCVB read.

The organization said they “respect and understand” the safety concerns of male players playing against females, but “student safety” alone has not been a “successful defense” to change the rule.

“Student safety has not been a successful defense to excluding students of one gender from participating on teams of the opposite gender. The arguments generally fail due to the lack of correlation between injuries and mixed-gender teams,” The MIAA wrote.