BY RACHEL GALATIS
The field hockey season may have a chance to compete in the NCAA Tournament despite the team’s loss to Adelphi University last Monday, Nov. 1.
With a final score of 1-0, the team’s overall record stands at 13-5 and their conference record at 11-3. They were ranked fourth in last week’s NCAA Division II East Regional rankings.
This will be big news for the team if selected, since there are only three teams selected out of the regular season conference. Selection for the tournament will be announced at 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 8, on ncaa.com.
It has been speculated that the other teams who may have a chance at a spot in the tournament are St. Anselm College and Bentley University.
Abby Campbell, the goalie of the team, said she feels this would be, “a whole new ballgame,” for the team if come Monday they get the news they land the spot, since her team views the postseason as, “a whole new season in itself.” She said that it would be an honor for her team to compete in, “A national-wide tournament consisting of the best DII field hockey.”
“A lot of work is ahead of us if we get the spot, but I believe our team will be ready for the challenge if we get the bid,” she said.
Campbell was named a “game leader” in what the Office of Student Engagement called the “Whiteout Game” on Monday, where she made nine saves. Students were encouraged to wear white, and t-shirts were thrown into the fan section.
Claudia Crowe, a sophomore, was also named a “game leader” for her two shots during the game.
For the overall season, Campbell has made 91 saves and has recently been recognized as a player in the All-Northeast-10 Conference Honors. Other players inducted include Captain Elisha Brinkman, Madeleine McGee, Andrea Caradonna, and Raegan Hickey.
Brinkman credits her teammates for her spot in the conference.
“It is of course a great honor to be recognized by other coaches in the conference, but it's important to note that my teammates play a huge role in me getting this award,” she said. “I couldn't have done it without them; they help and push me to get better each day!”
The ‘conference honors’ is an award system where “teams” are made up to recognize players for their hard work during the season. There are three teams, and one “all-rookie” team. Players are selected by 15 head coaches in the conference and placed on a team depending on their performance.
This past season, the team played six days a week, with four practices and two games. During this hour and a half to two-hour long practices, they would mimic game-like scenarios, and would correlate their practices to their next opponent.
Emma Mawn, a captain, said during her time as a field hockey player at Stonehill, she has learned that it isn’t always easy to face adversity and major obstacles, but overcoming them can be very rewarding.
“During my time here, I’ve experienced adversity in many ways including multiple changes in our coaching staff, injuries, and a pandemic that brought on the cancellation of a season and many new restrictions,” she said. “Learning to deal with setbacks head on and being able to adjust are lessons that I’ll carry with me forever.”