Hawks looking to build from last year’s success
Success breeds expectations. The more a team wins, the higher the standard they are held to. Like climbing a mountain, the ascent to becoming an elite program comes with a change in pressure.
This newfound pressure is something the St. Joe’s field hockey team welcomes. Last season was a breakout year for the Hawks as they won the Atlantic 10 Championship and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
“There is definitely some pressure,” sophomore forward Emily Henry said. “There is definitely an added benefit to playing in those big games, but there is also pressure. We just have to approach this season the same way we did last year, and we will be fine.”
Head coach Lynn Farquhar isn’t worried about her team’s ability to handle the pressure.
“They have been great so far,” Farquhar said. “This is a fun group. I don’t think there is pressure for us. For us it is excitement and a thrill to just go out and play at a high level. We can either choose to call that pressure or we can call it exciting.”
The Hawks have sprinted out of the starting gate this year, picking up right where they left off. They have won three of their first four games, including a win over the ninth ranked University of Delaware.
One aspect that has made the field hockey team at St. Joe’s so successful is their work ethic.
“Everybody came in fit and ready to go at the start of preseason,” senior midfielder Monica Tice said. “We all worked really hard in the preseason. We scrimmaged some tough teams and I think that really helped prepare us for the start of the season.”
This style is what has led to the program becoming this successful in such a short amount of time.
“Our goal is to play team hockey,” Farquhar said. “We all want to attack together and defend together at a high speed. You see this physical work rate on and off the field, there is eye contact, there is an contagious energy around this team.”
During a stretch like this where every opponent is tough, it is important for the Hawks to not lose their identity.
“What has made us so good is how we stuck to our game,” Henry said. “When we are in such high stress situations and are playing in such high paced fun games, we are able to keep ourselves together and finish through.”
This year won’t be easy by any means. Their upcoming schedule includes national powerhouses like Duke and Syracuse. Some teams might find this daunting but not St. Joe’s.
“Duke is a challenging opponent,” Tice said. “They are a top ten team so it will be cool to be put to that test and see how we do.”
The Hawks are able to drown out all the noise and expectations by focusing on a simple mantra.
“Our goal is to just get better every week,” Tice said. “We are focused on just improving and growing week to week.”
