With just two seniors on its roster, the 2009 University of Mary Washington field hockey team completed another in a long line of successful seasons, winning 12 games and advancing to the Capital Athletic Conference Championship game for the first time in four seasons. Along the way, the Eagles topped nationally-ranked Lebanon Valley College for just the second time ever, and lost just one game by more than one goal.
Head Coach Dana Hall’s troops opened the season with a 4-3 loss to 17th ranked Lynchburg College, but rebounded to top #8 Lebanon Valley, 4-3, thanks to second half goals from MacKenzie Sloan and Emma Jones. After a 5-0 triumph over Bridgewater College, the Eagles prepared for eight consecutive road games. UMW started the road swing with impressive Capital Athletic Conference wins at York College, 2-1, and St. Mary’s College, 3-1.
A 2-0 victory at alwaystough Dickinson College preceded a pair of tough overtime losses at Wesley College and nationallyranked Catholic University, but the Eagles rebounded to top Stevenson University, 4-3, on the road in the next contest. A pair of tight one-goal losses at Washington College and nationally-ranked Christopher Newport University ended the string of road games. Back at the Battleground, Mary Washington quickly regained its confidence, as the Eagles topped Washington & Lee University, 3-2, and Hood College, 8-1, to kick off a five-game win streak. The Eagles topped Virginia Wesleyan College, 2-0, at the Olympic Training Center in Virginia Beach before blanking Sweet Briar College and Roanoke College.
After dropping the last two games of the regular season to #2 Salisbury and Randolph-Macon College in the first home game played at night on the University’s turf field, the Eagles defeated York at home in the CAC Tournament semifinals, with Emma Jones providing the game winner. UMW faced Salisbury in the CAC Championship, and held a 1-0 lead for a time before falling in the final minutes, 2-1, to the Sea Gulls.
Senior defender Jaci Marshall lead a large contingent of UMW players on the All-Capital Athletic Conference team, as junior forward Emma Jones and junior midfielder Heidi Sheehan joined Marshall on the first team, while freshman midfielder Florence George and junior defender Nicole Conti gained second team honors. Marshall becomes one of just a handful of players to gain All-CAC field hockey honors for four consecutive seasons. Marshall and Emma Jones were selected by Longstreth and the NFHCA as second team All-South region selections, and Marshall played in the NFHCA National Senior All-Star Game on Final Four Weekend at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass.
Offensively, the Eagles were led in scoring by Jones, who tallied 15 goals and seven assists in 20 games, good for 37 points. Florence George scored seven goals and added nine assists in her freshman campaign, while s o p h o m o r e s Erin Duffy and Morgan Jones each netted 20 points in 20 games for UMW. Sophomore Kaitlyn Ripley and freshman MacKenzie Sloan each reached double figures in points with 13 and 12, respectively.
On defense, a veteran unit allowed 1.6 goals per game. Junior goalkeeper Chrissy Bowdren posted 118 saves and four shutouts on the year, with junior defenders Nicole Conti (nine defensive saves) and Heidi Sheehan (seven defensive saves) aiding the cause.