A high school girl in Massachusetts lost her teeth and suffered an injury Thursday after a male field hockey player shot a ball at her face during a playoff game.
The female athlete experienced “significant facial” injuries when the accident occurred at the match between Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School and Swampscott High School, according to WCVB.
Video shows the male Swampscott player shoot the ball at the female playing after winding his stick back, the outlet reported. The opposing female defender yelled out in pain as she dropped to the ground. Dighton-Rehoboth staff vacated the sidelines to help the victim.
It’s reported that male player (#2 for Swampscott) knocked the teeth out of female player. Males are allowed to play on female teams in MA because of the “equal play act”
This is the town where NCAA president and past gov, Charlie baker lives. Care to comment, @CharlieBakerMA ? pic.twitter.com/ahyGrzA2Ox
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) November 3, 2023
“It’s reported that male player (#2 for Swampscott) knocked the teeth out of a female player. Males are allowed to play on female teams in MA because of the ‘equal play act.'” Riley Gaines, a former competitive swimmer and opponent of men in women’s sports, wrote on social media as a caption to the viral video. “This is a town where NCAA president and past gov, Charlie baker lives. Care to comment, @CharlieBakerMA?”
The male who injured the female was a four-year varsity player and co-captain who “has the exact same right to participate as any player on any team,” Swampscott Public School’s Athletic Director Kelly Wolff said, according to the outlet. (RELATED: ‘We Are Asking For The Bare Minimum’: Riley Gaines Blasts Biden Admin Over Title IX Rewrite)
“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 MMA state playoff contest,” Dighton-Rehoboth Superintendent Bill Runey wrote in a letter obtained by WCVB.
Runey said more consideration should be given to player safety in co-ed competitions, the outlet reported. The victim was hospitalized and is receiving treatment for her injuries.