Following its 6-0 defeat of Glendora, the field hockey team’s strong play has led them to an overall record of 11-1-3 and a league record of 5-0, as the players set their sight on the playoffs.
The squad has not lost a game since its Sept. 6 contest against Huntington Beach High School and have won its last seven games. In those games it has scored 29 goals and has only allowed two.
Among the team’s highlights is a 1-0 victory against Edison High School, the reigning CIF champion on Aug. 30.
Program Head Erin Creznic said this year’s junior class has had a large impact on the team.
“We knew last year was a going to be a rebuilding season as this year’s juniors matured and improve their play, but this year they are such a big group and are playing so well right now,” Creznic said.
Another one of the main factors for their success, the players said, is their team’s chemistry.
‘We really clicked when we were in Florida,” Erin Lee ’18 said. “There weren’t any huge problems we were experiencing playing together for the first time.”
Carolyn Kim ’18 echoed Lee’s thoughts about team chemistry.
“When it comes to our team, I think we’re one of the closest teams on campus not just on the field but off the field too,” Kim said. “I think because we’re so close, we’ve gotten to really know how to play together as a unit.”
Creznic also said team chemistry is especially important for the team.
“The great thing is that despite our being a very big team this year, we are getting along really well,” she said. “If they don’t get along off the field, they likely won’t play well on the field together.”
Offensively, the team has been scoring many goals in recent games, including eight against Westminster High School and six against Glendora High School.
More importantly, the team has been stellar on the defensive side.
Since the KSA tournament in Florida, the team has not given up more than one goal in a game and has held opposing teams scoreless in six of those games.
With only three games left in the regular season, the team hopes to head into the playoffs on a high note.
“We hope to win the last three games because we’ve already played and beaten the teams we are playing, and we hope to beat them a second time and in turn win the league,” Creznic said.
The players have high hopes for the playoffs, though they also know that their success is not guaranteed.
“Just because we win league doesn’t mean we’re automatically going to win it all, but we have a good shot,” Creznic said.