Last week, after a tough loss to William Smith, the Johns Hopkins women's field hockey team responded by shutting out the Washington & Lee Generals.
The game was played under the lights at home, with a crowd of over 200 students in attendance.
Led by senior captains Meighan Roose, Carly Cammarata and Kristan Lione, the team put on an impressive performance on both sides of the field.
Junior midfielder/defender Leah Dudley started the scoring early, but senior captain Meighan Roose added the finishing touch, notching a goal and an assist to lead Hopkins to a 3-0 win.
Junior keeper Dayna Eng recorded four saves to earn the team's first shutout of the season. The Generals looked shaky in their first game of the season, attempting only five shots on goal.
The Jays hope that this most recent victory will serve as a jumping-off point on their road to reclaiming past glory. Two years ago, the field hockey team won the Centennial Conference tournament, but last year, the team had a disappointing season, finishing 6-12.
They were shut out six times in their 12 losses and did not qualify for the Centennial Conference tournament.
This year, the team has had a turbulent opening to the season, and the hardest may be yet to come. Many tests lie ahead, starting with No. 1-ranked Salisbury this Wednesday, but obstacles are nothing new to this group of women.
After a thrilling overtime victory in the first game of the season against Mary Washington, the team lost two straight before last weekend's win over Washington & Lee.
Through it all, last year's subpar season still stings for a squad who strives for the best, and for a coach that expects the best from them. The team is led by coach Megan Callahan, formerly a Division-I field hockey player herself for the Maryland Terrapins and also the winningest coach in the Centennial Conference.
In the following month, the Jays' schedule remains just as unforgiving, with No. 4-ranked College of New Jersey, No.13-ranked Gettysburg, and No.10-ranked Franklin & Marshall coming up. Despite the daunting schedule, the team maintains an upbeat attitude as they train hard physically and mentally.
Between doing imitations of Will Ferrell and quoting Anchorman, the team's favorite movie, team members attend regular film sessions, and they are pushed to their limits by their personal trainer, known affectionately as "George."
Although last year's team also started the season 2-2, this year's team has a different feel to it. Led by All-Conference midfielder Roose, the offense has had its share of exciting moments this season, including freshman forward Adair Landy's first collegiate goal to win the season-opener in overtime.
New teammate and burgeoning star Landy has certainly contributed to the new atmosphere in the Blue Jays' locker room. The tallest girl on the team, she has started every game, and has bolstered the Blue Jay offense with her playmaking ability.
Led by senior captains who remember the bad as well as the good, the coach who has seen it all and a freshman who is just beginning to open her eyes, the field hockey team plays with a sense of determination. This determination just may carry the team back to the top of the Centennial Conference.
