By:  Kyle Bordner ’14

Co-Editor-in-Chief

The Varsity Field Hockey team has worked extremely hard this year. Coming into the season with experience on its side, the team opened many eyes recently with a first round State Playoff 2-0 victory over Manalapan. The victory was preceded by an up and down season defined by key victories over Paul VI, Lenape, and Seneca. With the playoff victory under their belt, the Field Hockey squad improves to a record of 7-12-2. This is a very impressive record considering the ladies have played top of the line teams (some more than once) such as Bishop Eustace, Cherokee, Camden Catholic, and nationally ranked Eastern. The girls have won back to back games and are playing great hockey right now. Head Coach Riley, who has stood by her girls all year, says that her team “peaked at the right time” and that the girls are just “reaching their potential”. No matter what has happened before, this playoff victory will definitely serve as what senior captain Katie Stetser calls “a magical, motivating, and uplifting experience.”
The 2-0 victory over Manalapan was defined by stellar defense from all the players on team. Seniors Alisia Mardino, Erica Sunstein, Francesca Benitez, and Captain Laura Giordano led the defensive front helping Goalkeeper Anne Mullarkey secure a well-earned shutout. Laura Giordano, who has helped lead this team all year, said that this is “our time to shine.” The girls are definitely shining right now. Assistant Coach Joblanski said that the most important thing in the game was the girls played “60 minutes of field hockey.” They were focused from start to finish. The goals in the victory were scored by the other two captains on the team, Midfielder Jamie Robertson, and Forward Katie Stetser. Katie scored the first goal in the game in the closing minutes of the first half and Jamie was able to solidify the lead with a stellar goal midway through the second half. Jamie Robertson has played both sides of the ball this year and is a vocal leader on the field. She describes the win, the season, and her whole field hockey experience as being “everything” to her. At the same time, Katie has been one of the leading goal scorers all season for the Lady Lions and believes it has been a “great ending” to the season. Nevertheless, every player knows that the real season can just be getting started as one playoff win opens a door of opportunities for the squad.
With the majority of players on the team being seniors this year, the coaches and players know that leadership and chemistry are very important tools. The Lions have had nothing but heart and determination this season and in the past seasons. Coach Riley calls the team a “phenomenal group of girls who are both talented individuals and the type of people to leave their hearts on the field.” There is a certain sense of camaraderie in team sports such as field hockey and many of these girls have been playing together for four years now. Assistant Coach Joblanski says “it is amazing every day to watch how much these girls have grown.” Clearly, the girls have grown a lot as they were able to snag a huge state playoff victory. Moving forward to the next game, Coach Riley “doesn’t expect anything but their best.” The team wants to win more than anything, but even if a victory is not in the cards, the girls have learned a lot about themselves this season.
Next year, the field hockey team will see some huge changes. The team has very few Juniors, the rest a mix of seniors and sophomores. One of those juniors, Lindsey Coyle knows that there “will be some hard shoes to fill next year.” However, the team hopes that a lot of their freshman and sophomores will be able to step up and contribute to the team. Overall, this field hockey team has made a huge impression in the wide world of New Jersey high school sports. Better yet, the girls are happy and are eager to move forward with their season. Hopefully the first round playoff victory is a sign of great things to come for the remainder of this season.