Bobcat’s On Field Performance Rooted in Multi-Sport Experiences

The Bobcats field hockey team has displayed a tremendous amount of versatility this season. Whether it be late game comebacks, blowout wins, or going down to the wire in defensive battles, early in the season, the players’ skill sets have been on the forefront.

Head Coach Carly Sweeney said, “A background playing different sports can contribute to being a better player in field hockey.”

“Many of our defensive players have a background in softball,” says goal keeper Jackie Gover. “One of the players played catcher and you can really see it translating to her performance on the field, she’s great at staying low.”

Freshman forward Ashleigh Myers played tennis in high school. “Tennis helped with my footwork on the field,” she says. Ashley played club hockey at home before the season started. “The game is really fast compared to high school… there is some pressure to not mess up, but my teammates push me to work harder.”

Senior Alexandra Darrow’s ice hockey experience directly translates to the hockey field. “You can see how advanced Alex’s stick work is. This is a sport that is very similar to ice hockey,” says Coach Sweeney.

“The main difference between the two sports is the fact in one, you can only use 1 side of the stick and the other you can use both,” says Darrow. 10 games into the season, Darrow continues her impressive senior campaign. She is leading the conference in goals and total points.

In a season full of ups and downs, the Bobcats field hockey team is optimistic as they prepare to begin conference play. “Coach says that all of our games up this point have been warm ups for conference play,” says freshman Mid-fielder Lindsay Gardiner.

The Bobcats had their win streak snapped at 6 games against Bridgewater (Va.), in a defensive battle that went down to the wire. The team quickly recovered in a decisive win against Bethany.

The team ranked third in divisional standings behind Christopher Newport and Salisbury, after being slated to finish last in the division in the preseason poll.

“I’d much rather be the underdog and over achieve,” says Gover.

Defense still remains an important factor for the Bobcat’s team success. Junior goal keeper Jackie Gover remains second in the CAC in saves, while the team is third in the conference with 18 goals given up on the season.

Field hockey sports a 3-2 record in away games this season and has just one loss on the home turf.

After two postponed games this past weekend, the Bobcats remain 7-3. Friday’s game was moved up to 6:00 from the scheduled 7:30 game, and later postponed. The opening conference game against rival Salisbury was postponed as well due to effects from Hurricane Joaquin.