Ava Compagnoni avcompagnoni@ursinus.edu
The Field Hockey team has just completed another season. With an overall 10-9 record, 6-4 in the conference, AND making the Centennial Conference semifinals, the Lady Bears have a lot to celebrate. There were a few ups and downs, as any team will endure, but the Lady Bears left the fall season with a winning record.
After taking a brutal 2-3 loss to Swarthmore, Wednesday October 19th, Ursinus’ first loss to that school since 2002, the Lady Bears did not lose until the semifinals. Following the Swarthmore loss, the Lady Bears celebrated Senior Day with a huge win against McDaniel at home, honoring their six seniors. The Lady Bears won with ease, 4-1, against the Green Terror. Team unity is the key factor to UCFH success, and Coach Janelle Benner and the senior captains create fun bonding ideas for the 23 student-athletes. Activities off of Snell such as pumpkin painting, team dinners, and Sunday study halls, helped to destress the team in such a competitive conference and season.
I was able to interview members of the team and hear how they thought the season went. Firstly, what better way to get a feel for the team this season, than from a newbie! Freshman Gigi Testa enjoyed her first season as an Ursinus FH Bear: “Reflecting on the season I would say it exceeded my expectations. It was really great to adapt to the new faster paced level of field hockey. I was thankful for Coach Benner keeping us organized and focused while still making everyday fun.” As a freshman, the pressure can be on. Testa felt the support from her teammates and senior captains throughout the entire season. “My biggest personal achievement was scoring my first collegiate goal. It was a really fun game and my teammates were so happy for me. I also think I grew a lot as a person and a player as I tried out new positions and adapted to playing with a new team,” says Testa.
Senior captain Laura Rothschild has seen it all in her last four years of Ursinus College Field Hockey. “Our confidence and connections grew dramatically and led us to become more successful each day. Our final run was against a nationally ranked, talented team. I would have loved to beat Hopkins in my senior season, but we gave them a good run,” says Rothschild. After the semifinals loss, Rothschild continues to see positives, for herself and her team. “We were the first team to score on them in conference play in the past 3 years. I am happy to have had this season as my last one and will miss it terribly,” says Rothschild.
To cap off a successful season, five senior Lady Bears received All-Centennial achievements! Jordan Moore received First Team, captain Laura Rothschild and Jordan Ulsh received Second Team, captain Sarah Symes received Honorable Mention and Addie Plummer received Sportsmanship Team.