Fighting hard to win throughout the entire game, the Hopkins field hockey team fell just short, losing to The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) with a score of 4-2. Held in Ewing, N.J., the ninth-ranked TCNJ started off the game with force. Scoring in the first seven minutes and twice in the first 20 minutes, TCNJ came out with a 3-0 lead. Two of the three goals came from penalty strokes, so Hopkins had to realize its faults and quickly get its game in check.
Stopping the TCNJ Lions’s run was freshman forward Austin Davis. With an assist from senior Allison Thompson, Davis ended the Lions’s run with a goal shortly after the 27 minute mark.
It was an impressive goal by Davis and her first of the season. TCNJ quickly responded with an unassisted goal at the 38 minute mark just three minutes into the second half. Hopkins was running out of time to cut down TCNJ’s three point lead. With tight back-and-forth play for the remainder of the game, the Jays only scored one more time with an unassisted goal from freshman Lindsey Adams.
The Jays defense fought hard to the end, keeping the Lions at a score of four points. Sophomore goalkeeper Zoey Atabek recorded 11 saves in the game, continuing her incredible season with a remarkable 172 total saves.
Atabek leads the Centennial Conference in total saves and in total save percentage with an outstanding .789.
This non-conference game will be the last of the season for the Jays, who did not qualify for the Centennial Conference Tournament. The tough loss to TCNJ brings their overall record to 7-10.
The Jays played a hard fought season and had a lot to prove, not only to other teams in the tournament, but also to themselves. Starting off the season with a strong 3-1 record, the Jays appeared to be headed for great success. However, as the mid-season stretch hit, they hit a slump and dropped five straight games. The Jays fought to save their season with a pair of back-to-back wins; unfortunately this would not be enough to push them into the playoffs.
The team had the opportunity to grow together and build camaraderie in a very trying season. “Playing field hockey here has provided me with the strongest of relationships and an irreplaceable support system,” junior Alexa Lantiere said about her team chemistry. “I feel very fortunate to be a member of such a fantastic team.” Lantiere also had quite the impressive season, ranking third overall in the Centennial Conference with 13 total goals. Lantiere also ranked seventh overall in the Centennial Conference in points with a total of 27 points.
The Blue Jays almost exactly repeated the events of last season, ending with a record of 5-5 in the conference and just missing the Centennial Conference tournament. Head coach Megan Fraser has a lot of work to do in the offseason, but one thing for sure is that she knows what she is doing. Not only is Coach Fraser the most winningest coach in both Hopkins history and Centennial Conference history, but she also has great respect coming from her players. “While I made some mistakes as a rookie, [the opportunity] really allowed me to grow into a better player and I am really grateful for Coach Fraser,” Lantiere said when asked how Coach Fraser has influenced her game. “She has definitely made me become a better all-around player and has given me a different perspective on the sport.”
Coach Fraser might have had a rough past couple of seasons, but she definitely has the numbers in the record books to back up her ability as a coach. Although numbers may be nice, having a team that is willing to stand behind their coach one hundred percent is always more important. It is obvious that Coach Fraser knows what she is doing, on and off the field, and we congratulate her on her season as she begins to prepare for a greater season next year. The Lady Jays will head into the offseason, looking to train harder and longer in preparation for the season next fall.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The News-Letter.