The Hopkins women’s field hockey team faced off against Centennial Conference opponent Muhlenberg at home on Saturday afternoon. With the pressure of beginning the season undefeated inside the conference, the Blue Jays were able to come back after falling down 1-0 to defeat the Mules 2-1. Hopkins was able to improve to 4-2 on the season and a 2-0 record in the Centennial Conference.
After scoring off a corner at 13:54 in the game, Muhlenberg was able to get off to a quick start offensively. The quick start from the Mules took the Lady Jays by surprise as they were unable to create opportunities in the offensive zone. However, with two minutes left in the first half, sophomore midfielder Leslie MacManus feathered a beautiful pass to junior forward Alexa Lantiere who fired a shot past the Muhlenberg goalie, knotting the game at 1-1 before the break. In the second half, Hopkins quickly took the lead 2-1 at the 43rd minute, when senior midfielder Maddie Fryer put home an easy rebound to put the Jays in front. Lantiere spoke on the Hopkins second half success. "After six games, I think that we have found strength in the second half by relying on our energy and excitement to motivate us through the end of the game,” Lantiere said. “We have a really strong defense and I think we have been utilizing it."
Lantiere also commented on the success of the offense. "Strong defense has allowed us to push up on attack, which is really dangerous for the opposing team. Our weakness is the first half, getting started early and coming out with the mentality to win it right away," Lantiere said.
The one goal lead was all the Blue Jays would need as sophomore goalkeeper Zoey Atabek denied 12 Muhlenberg shots on goal. She continues to be a force in goal, leading the Jays to several key victories with stellar goaltending. Despite being outshot by Mulhenberg by the margin of 17-14, the Blue Jays were able to overcome the difference by great overall defense led by Atabek.
Amongst the team, starting senior forward Shelby Graham views the future of Hopkins field hockey optimistically. “Having young players adds a new element to our game,” Graham said. “I learn as much from them as they learn from me, and we will be a greater threat this year because of it. Having a younger team has also lead to changes and experiments in our line-up and style of play. I have confidence in our team this year more than ever.”
With this mindset, the team looks to have another conference championship caliber team lead by the veteran confidence and young talent. Graham went on to say, “With a few games under our belt, we've already recognized our weaknesses and are working hard in practice to make necessary adjustments,” Graham said. “I know we will finish at the top if we come out hard at the beginning of every game and play our style of hockey.”
Graham states that optimism exists throughout the entirety of the team. This optimism has provided the Lady Jays confidence in the beginning part of the season. The main goal now for the Blue Jays is to stay motivated to play the entire year just as they've started it.
Lantiere shares similar confidence in the team, saying, “I think out biggest competitor this year is going to be Franklin and Marshall or Ursinus,” Lantiere said. “F&M is always a tight game and they have found ways to beat us each of the last two years. This year I think we are going to try and play them for our pink game to support breast cancer. We are hoping the cause can give us some external motivation and energy to push toward victory.”
Hopkins is now at the top of the Centennial Conference with a 2-0 record. The Jays will face their toughest opponent of the year in third ranked Salisbury on Wednesday, Sept. 25. They will look to build on their recent surge of success heading into undoubtedly their most difficult test of the season.
