This past Saturday the Hopkins women’s field hockey team played their first conference game as they hosted the Washington College Shorewomen. The Lady Jays entered the game with a winning record of 4-3, while Washington College had an undefeated 5-0 record.
Both teams were well aware of each other’s playing styles due to playing many pre-season and spring games against each other. The Lady Jays and the Shorewomen both tend to play a strategic short-ball game, and after a good week of practice the Lady Jays were well prepared going into Saturday’s game.
Hopkins started off the game strong, pushing hard on defense. Unable to beat the early press, the Shorewomen ditched their short-ball strategy and began playing more long-ball against the Lady Jays. Hopkins did not back off its press and was able to continue to execute its game through swingball.
The Shorewomen matched the Lady Jays’ press coming into the second half, but junior goalie Zoey Atabek would hold off all scoring from Washington College with eight saves. As regulation came to a close both teams remained scoreless, forcing overtime.
The Lady Jays had not won in overtime since Sept. 1, 2012, and Washington College was not ready to drop its school record-breaking five-game win streak.
Going into sudden death, Hopkins came out pressing hard in the first overtime, outshooting the Shorewomen 5-1. Neither team had scored at the time the final whistle blew, forcing the game into a second overtime.
The Lady Jays were conserving their energy during the second overtime when senior Captain Lucy Woodrow received the ball at a bad angle from the left endline. Woodrow took the shot from seven yards out, and it soared past Shorewoman Sadie Robertson, winning the game for Hopkins. The goal was Woodrow’s first career overtime game-winning goal.
Atabek had an impeccable game with five saves in the first half and eight saves in the second half, combining for a season-high 13 saves. Atabek was three saves shy from her career high; however, she did tally her first win of the season. On Monday, Atabek was awarded the Centennial Conference Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Week. It is Atabek’s first career conference player of the week title and the first for Hopkins since Oct. 31, 2011.
With such a young team this season, the Lady Jays are showing their strength in preserving their winning record.
“We are definitely young,” sophomore Abby Grant said, “however we are smart and willing to learn to be the best as a team and to individually get better.”
When asked what contributes to their success this season Grant cited their coach.
“We owe most of it to Coach Fraser. She knows how to play the game, but more importantly she knows how to teach the game. She makes sure we have our basic skills perfected before she develops our game, and she is able to keep our team motivated throughout the season.”
Grant continued, “This year, Coach Fraser has us focusing on playing our game from the start. We want to always set the tempo in the beginning and dictate how the game is going to be played. If we get scored on, then we ‘reset and restart’ and get back into our rhythm.”
Field hockey is not as well known in the sports world as sports such as football and basketball, so I had Grant explain the passion and competition that lies within her sport.
Grant said, “Field hockey encapsulates every sport; there are soccer techniques that we use, and there are basketball strategies that we will put in place. Field hockey is on the rise and can be compared to an alternative to soccer. It allows the innate competition among people to come and allows for a team atmosphere providing the thrill and passion that goes into winning.”
The Lady Jays have the possibility to finish high in the Centennial Conference and finish with a winning season. With 10 regular season games left, it will be a hard fight, but with the help of Coach Fraser, the Lady Jays can go far this season.
The Lady Jays return to action on Friday as they take on Muhlenberg away in Allentown at 7 p.m.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The News-Letter.