By Kayla Zapcic
Elm Staff Writer
On Friday, Aug. 31, the Washington College field hockey team played Wesley College in Dover at a neutral site. The Shorewomen lost the game 3-0, but were ready to turn around and compete again at home on Saturday, Sept. 1 against University of Mary Washington. The team put up a strong fight, but unfortunately lost 4-3.
The team was coached solely by Assistant Coach Cody Hunsicker on Saturday due to Head Coach Annie Kietzman receiving a red card during their game on Friday due to discourse with referees. However, this obstacle did not affect WC’s perseverance.
The Shorewomen found themselves in a 2-0 deficit early in the first half. Senior Olivia Auer put them on the score board after shooting a penalty stroke early in the second half of the game.
Just four minutes after Auer’s goal, senior Clare Ingersoll found the back of the net off a rebounded shot from sophomore Kailyn Brandt, tying up the game, 2-2.
The Eagles regained their lead, but that didn’t stop Brandt. She tied up the game again after sending a reverse chip shot into the back corner of the cage.
The game tying goal gave the Shorewomen motivation to keep pushing for a win.
“In that moment, it meant we had the momentum and encouraged us to keep fighting,” Brandt said.
The Shorewomen never gave up throughout the game, proving it with their stats. WC had 20 shots overall and 11 shots on cage during the contest. Mary Washington only had 11 shots overall and 8 shots on cage. The Shorewomen scored all of their goals in the second half, putting Mary Washington under high pressure.
Despite the Shorewomen’s efforts, Alaina Shivers from Mary Washington scored the game-winning goal with nine minutes left in the game.
With the two losses behind them, the team is still very excited for their upcoming season and are ready to start conference play.
“I think the loss on Saturday was a tough battle, but it showed how strong our team is. Not a single person gave up the entire time, no matter what the score was,” senior Alison Pantazes said. “I believe we’re going to be a tough team to beat, especially when conference play begins. Our team is all locked in and has the same strong mindsets and is willing to do whatever it takes to win.”
The field hockey team will host Stevenson University this weekend on Sept. 8 at home, and will begin conference play on Saturday, Sept. 15 at Gettysburg College.