By Jordan Fairchild
Elm Staff Writer
On Thursday, Sept. 2, the Washington College women’s field hockey team took on the Hood College Blazers on the Kibler Field in their 2021 season opener. The Shorewomen came out on top with a 6–0 victory.
“The main challenge we faced was fighting off first-game jitters – everyone was eager to perform well.” sophomore Gab Crysler said. “Luckily, we were able to overcome this and use each other to lift up our spirits and put the energy into intensity on the field.”
During the first quarter, sophomore Kate Gromacki scored a goal for the Shorewomen, putting them up 1–0.
Freshman Kat Esposito scored a goal in the second quarter to bring the Shorewomen’s lead to 2–0.
“Even after scoring, we never let up our offense or our defense,” junior Kyra Heap said. “Instead, we took control of the game. The ball touched every person’s stick on the team, which says a lot about our passing and how we focused on playing as one.”
During the third quarter, the Shorewomen scored three unanswered goals. Esposito, senior Maddie Knight, and junior Julianna Sterling secured the goals for the Shorewomen.
The final goal was scored with less than 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter by senior Cristen Quillen, securing the Shorewomen’s victory of 6–0.
The Shorewomen topped the Blazers in shots made on the goal with 30 compared to 19.
The Blazers bested the Shorewomen in saves, however, with 12 compared to one.
There were no fouls called during the game on either team.
Scoring two of the six goals for the Shorewomen, Esposito was named the Goose Nation TV Shorewoman of the Game during the live broadcast.
On Saturday, Sept. 4, the Shorewomen traveled to Norfolk, Va. to verse the Virginia Wesleyan University Marlins for another game. The Shorewomen defeated the Marlins 5–0.
The first scoring run of the game was during the second quarter, with goals scored by Quillen and freshman Emily Ulizio.
This allowed the Shorewomen to enter the third quarter with a 2–0 lead over the Marlins.
Three more goals were scored for the Shorewomen in the fourth quarter by Knight, Ulizio, and Gromacki, setting the final victorious score to 5–0 for the Shorewomen.
“Our team was able to play what we call ‘total hockey,’” Crysler said. “This is a combination of playing principles we set as a team to achieve each quarter. Whether that be circle entries, tacking back, or passing as a team, we achieved each goal for every quarter.”
The Shorewomen made 24 shots on the goal compared to the Marlins’ five shots. The Marlins made 13 saves during the game, while the Shorewomen made two, both by sophomore Ava Rivera. “Preseason helped us establish our team goals and team culture,” Heap said. “We learned to play collectively rather than individually. Throughout preseason, we became more comfortable with one another and that trust really showed in our game.”
The Shorewomen are now standing with a 2–0 record this season and will host the Salisbury University Seagulls in a non-conference matchup on Wednesday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. on the Kibler Field.
Photo by Izze Rios