When asked about her 1988 field hockey season - a campaign of ebb and flow, jubilation and frustration - MWC head coach Beth Hollibaugh's tongue was "tied." Not that she didn't have much to say after a 6-8-4 season which included five losses by one goal or less. In fact, it was the "evenness" of the season which was most compelling, as evidenced by the four ties.
"We tied more games than ever before ... we scored 31 goals this year, and our opponents scored 32," said Hollibaugh, whose Eagles narrowly missed an ECAC Tournament berth. "But despite the disappointment of no postseason play, it was a very enjoyable season, with fantastic team attitude and team unity. They were inseparable as players and friends." Indicative of the roller coaster ride for the Eagles - a pair of ties, followed by two wins, then four losses in the season's first half, including consecutive one-goal losses to Washington College and Mount Saint Mary's. Exceptional performances against American and Eastern Mennonite resulted in only a tie and a one-goal defeat.
The season's second half was also topsy -turvy. A 6-1 win over Bridgewater one day; a 6-1 loss to Sweet Briar the next. A 4-1 triumph over Wesley in the next game; a 4-1 loss to powerful Salisbury State the following game. And a fitting climax to the season - a scoreless, double-overtime tie against RandolphMacon, a game in which the Eagles set a school record with 64 shots on goal (against just four for the Yellow Jackets), yet none found the net.
Several Mary Washington College players proved proficient at finding the cage this year, however, especially juniors Suzanne Liotta (Valhalla, NY) and Siobhan McCarthy (Mclean, VA), who tied for team scoring honors with seven. Liotta scored a hat trick against Bridgewater, while McCarthy had two-goal efforts against Catholic and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Sophomores Melody Brown (Stafford, VA) and Sheri Whited (Annandale, VA) each netted five goals, while Whited added six assists.
Meanwhile, sophomore Lori McCabe (Ocean View, DE) stepped into the starting goaltending slot vacated by standout Karen Caddie and went on to record 252 saves for the season, with a fine save percentage of .890. She was helped greatly by the solid presence of defender Sue Whitener (Herndon, VA), who teamed with seniors Lupi Roca (Falls Church, VA) and Sherri Meade (Shrewsbury, NJ) to give MWC tremendous leadership in roles of tri-captains.
"Our team's skill level improved a great deal by the end of the season," said Hollibaugh. "You could see our players challenge themselves at every practice. We had no 'true' standouts, but they were especially team-oriented. This chemistry should carryover into next year, and the players are already excited about coming back strong. We should have an experienced team, because we lose just three seniors."