The bond between both siblings and teammates is unique and inarguably strong. Two sets of siblings on the Hilltop prove that when combined, these bonds are unstoppable on the fields (or in the rink).

Sisters Senior Sabina Thomas and Freshman Isabelle Thomas are both starting defenders on Varsity Girls’ Soccer. Both have proved to be essential to the team goal of another NYSAIS championship. This power duo has been a testament to the team’s motto this year, “Unstoppable together.”

Sabina and Isabelle share a bond that is clear on the field. Sabina, who has been on the team since freshman year, can easily relate to Isabelle’s situation and put herself in Isabelle’s shoes. Aside from this, it is easier for them to provide con- structive criticism for each other because they know they are trying to help one another.

“[Having a sister on the team] is very fun, and also it is very helpful because if I am doing something wrong or if I am playing badly, then she can tell me,” said Isabelle.

“Sometimes I’ll tell her do something once and she’ll continue to do it, and I do not have to tell her each and every time, while I might have to keep reminding someone else,” said Sabina.

The other set of siblings, senior Morgan Connor and sophomore Doug Connor, have both recently committed to Division One schools. This past January, Morgan committed to The College of William and Mary for field hockey, and Doug committed to Princeton University for Ice Hockey in September. They both play goalie for their respective sports.

During the interview, Morgan teased Doug on their friendly competition.

“We did a friendly family competition to see who committed first,” she said.

“And I lost,” Doug added.

Despite losing this competition, Doug is excited about his prospects in college. “We both found the schools we like and we both feel comfortable with where we are going,” said Doug.

Although they do not play together, they constantly motivate each other in order to improve. “We rip on each other when we go to the gym. We do it a lot. I try to talk him down a lot because it motivates him to try harder,” said Morgan.

Morgan and Doug both decided to continue playing after high school because of their passion for their respective sports. “I know I love sports so much, and I loved field hockey so much that I knew I didn’t want to stop after high school, so that kind of started it. After the recruiting process and playing at all the big showcases, that’s when I kind of really knew there was just no way I could put the stick down after four years, especially when there was an opportunity after to play more.” Morgan said.

However, Doug is looking even further into the future. “There are other routes for me, other than college, so I had more to consider, but I definitely wanted to get an education and my family pushed for that, so it naturally fit in into my plan and my path of what I wanted to do,” he said.

These duos, along with many others in years past, have helped transform the atmosphere surrounding Hackley sports. With the help of siblings, teams are able to transform from a collection of athletes into a tight-knit family. When siblings are in separate grades, they help bridge the gap to bring the team closer together, allowing for better teamwork and cohesion.