Field hockey stays undefeated in conference play
By Nick Mandarano ’18 and Claire Potosky ’20
The Saint Joseph’s University field hockey team played two Atlantic 10 games this past weekend, winning the first by a score of 4-3 against the University of Richmond Spiders and the second by a score of 3-2 against Virginia Commonwealth University Rams.
On Friday, Sept. 30, senior forward Kerri Turk opened the scoring with a goal off a penalty corner less than three minutes into the game. Richmond’s Katrina Balatgek responded soon after, tying the game.
Richmond then took a 2-1 lead thanks to a goal from Thalia Williamson, but Turk struck again with a goal between the keeper’s legs to make the score 2-2 going into halftime.
The Spiders scored first in the second half and the Hawks immediately responded. With the score tied at three and 12 seconds remaining in the game, sophomore forward Anna Willocks passed the ball from the top of the circle to junior forward Jackalyn Pauling, who scored from in front of the cage to secure the victory for St. Joe’s.
“I can’t even explain to you how excited I was to see my teammates around me screaming, my coaches on the sideline—it was just an amazing feeling,” Pauling said. I just knew it was going to be a big game, so I was really excited coming out, trying to provide energy for my team and we connected really well today, so it’s just like an exciting feeling.”
Willocks was credited with the assist to the game-winning goal.
“I had total faith that we had it,” Willocks said. “I knew that Jackalyn was on the ball and I was like, ‘This her specialty, like she’s awesome with her stick skills,’ and I just had every faith that with Kerri on the post, we would put it away.”
This game marked the first time St. Joe’s beat Richmond in fifteen years, and it was a fight until the end.
“We knew it was going to be like that, so for us it was staying in it,” Head Coach Lynn Farquhar said. “Being able to turn the page and win the moments, and if we didn’t, get back and do the next one. So I’m proud of them for staying in the game.”
The second game of the weekend ended with a similar result – a win for the Hawks.
Willocks scored the first two goals with assists from senior midfielder Emily Nonnemacher and freshman midfielder Pepa Serrano.
The decisive goal for the Hawks came from sophomore fullback Joely Helder on an assist from Serrano. Both Willocks and Serrano had strong weekends, each having scored a goal in Friday’s game.
The stands went silent for a moment during the first half when VCU freshman fullback McKenzie Bowler was taken down by a leg injury. She was walked off the field by trainers, and fellow freshman Sydney Weise substituted in for her.
“You have to put everything aside. The tempo changes tremendously in our game,” Farquhar said on the effect of an injury on the game.
With 12 freshmen, this year’s team is a young and very new. Like any other team, natural leaders emerge on and off the field.
“There are lots of leaders, more the seniors,” Serrano said. “They are trying to push the team and they are doing a great job.”
Last season was the first time in history that St. Joe’s had started 4-0 in the A-10 conference and Sunday’s win makes this season their second. The team is confident that this season has just as much, if not more, potential than the last.
“Like always, we’ll celebrate today, turn the page, have to really focus on a couple things for next week as well,” said Farquhar.
The team will host La Salle University on Friday, Oct. 7 at 3:30 p.m. and will play away at Rutgers University on Sunday, Oct. 9 at 1 p.m.
