Fielding a young squad that featured five freshmen in the starting lineup, the 2007 edition of the University of Mary Washington field hockey team experienced a few growing pains, but molded into a group that became very dangerous with high expectations for the future.
Head Coach Dana Hall’s Eagles, who finished with an 11-9 record on the year, saw freshmen start at all three defender positions as well as in goal. The experience that group gained in ’07 bodes well for a team that says goodbye to a seven-member senior class for 2008. The Eagles opened the season with a pair of home losses, to eventual Final Four team Lebanon Valley College, 4-1, and a close 3-2 decision to Lynchburg College.
UMW then won four of five games, sparked by a 3-0 win at York College. A 2-1 overtime loss at St. Mary’s College matured the Eagles, as UMW out shot the hosts by a great margin but fell on a last second goal. The learning experience continued as the Eagles then won a seasonhigh three straight contests, with a 3-0 win at Dickinson College and a 5-1 win over Bridgewater College sandwiched around perhaps the team’s biggest win of the year, a 3-2 overtime win over 16th-ranked Franklin & Marshall College. In that contest, the Eagles fell behind early, scored two straight to take a late lead, allowed a tying goal in the waning minutes, and then scored the game winner on Sarah Pierson’s unassisted goal.
After a 4-1 loss to Wesley College, the Eagles responded to blank Roanoke College, 4-0. A pair of 1-0 losses shook the young team, but a change in goal to freshman Chrissy Bowdren then sparked the team to win four of its next five games. UMW defeated Washington College, 2-1, before falling at sixthranked Christopher Newport University, 2-0. A three-game win streak, all shutouts, followed, with wins over Hood College (5-0), Washington & Lee University (1-0), and Sweet Briar College (8-0).
Facing second-ranked Salisbury University at Homecoming, the Sea Gulls scored two late goals in each half in a 4-0 defeat before a 1-0 win over Randolph-Macon College on Senior Day, thanks to all-region and all-conference junior Alison Weckstein’s fourth game-winning goal. The Eagles gained a bit of revenge with a 1-0 win at Villa Julie College in the Capital Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals, thanks to Pierson’s game winner. Visiting Salisbury in the semifinals, the Eagles were able to keep the Sea Gulls off the scoreboard in the opening 35 minutes, before eventually falling, 3-0.
Senior forward Kalyn Perkins led the team in scoring with nine goals and two assists for 20 points, followed by Weckstein’s six goals and three assists for 15 points and freshman Emma Jones’ three goals and five assists for 11 points. Weckstein repeated as an all-conference selection. The young defense saw freshmen Nicole Conti, Kristen Haynor, and Heidi Sheehan gel into a cohesive defensive unit in front of Bowdren and fellow freshman goalie Erin Arnwine, providing shutout wins in five of the team’s final seven games.
Haynor received All-CAC notice at the conclusion of the season. A group of veterans will look to continue the trend upward for 2008, as Weckstein, Pierson, Amy Hruska, Amy Santella and Kim Blodgett lead the returnees as seniors. Juniors Jaci Marshall, Chelsea Brown, and Sarah Trimble will also lead from the field, as all three saw significant minutes as starters this fall. Marshall repeated as an allconference selection, solidifying the center of the field.