After a nearly perfect first part of the season, the field hockey team is seeking to wrap up with continued success into the playoffs.
“Last year we had trouble coming out of the close games,” coach Catherine Miller said. “This year, we are better at keeping our cool.”
The team’s success on the field is a complete turnaround from last year, when the Lady Bulldogs finished with a 4-9 record and did not progress through the playoffs.
The team won 2-0 against Watkins Mill Oct. 15 in a makeup for a game scheduled for Oct. 13. Goals by Roshan Promisel and Jennifer Shim gave CHS the lead, while a strong defense shut down the Watkins Mill offense.
The team had its first loss of the season to Walter Johnson, but the players are staying positive, according to senior captain Eliza Farha.
“That last game was pretty rough, but we still keep up our intensity for our upcoming games,” Farha said.
The Oct. 5 loss to Walter Johnson was the single low of an otherwise commanding season. Going into the game, the stakes were similar for both teams. Ultimately, Walter Johnson’s strong offense took control of the game.
“Even with our loss, we can still go really far in the playoffs and the rest of the season,” senior captain Emma Barnett said. “We can’t let this loss get to our heads.”
The team played a solid game against rival Wootton Oct. 3.
“Wootton kept up a great fight, the first half was 2-0,” Barnett said. “At halftime we all got really pumped and made sure for the second half we had things to work on.”
The final score was 3-2 after CHS preserved its lead in the second half and added a goal scored by Jennifer Shim.
“Wootton is always a tough game, and this game was no exception,” Miller said. “[Senior] Kristina Roberts held strong in goal against an aggressive Wootton offense. The Churchill defensive unit stopped many of Wootton’s advances to goal.”
The Lady Bulldogs previously played a decisive match against Northwest Sept. 27, winning 5-0.
“Three of those goals came from [senior] Alex Fox, who was on fire that game, ” Miller said.
Although the team’s success in the regular season will have no official effect on the playoffs, because all teams are seeded in the playoffs automatically, it is confident in its ability to go far.
“In order to continue our success this year, we need to stay focused and determined,” Farha said. “We came in this year with high hopes and have worked extremely hard for our winning record this year. No one wants to let the team down so we have to stay positive, work together, and play to our potential in order to continue our success.”
