The Lancaster Field Hockey teams worked hard to improve and get some wins this season. In the end, the Varsity team record was 4-10-2; while the JV record was 5-7. The varsity team went into the tournament hoping to get a win but fell to Bishop Watterson.

Field hockey is a popular competitive team sport played all around the world. It is played on a grass or turf field with teams of 11 players including the goalie.

Players use sticks to hit a round, hard and rubber-like ball. Goalkeepers are the only players who have permission to touch the ball with any part of their body. The team that scores the most goals at the end wins. If the scores are tied, the winner is decided by giving extra time or by penalty shoot-outs (Top End Sports).

Although their seasons were not exactly stellar, the coaches emphasized to their athletes that winning isn’t everything and there is more to excellence on and off of the field.

Coaches Allison Kinniard and Sue Call have worked their two teams of 29 girls hard this season to push them to succeed in skill, speed, and stamina.

“This season, both teams started out slow but improved more and more each day,” said Kinniard.

“Field hockey moves at such a fast pace and both teams have improved their speed of the game so much this season.”

Kinniard went on to say that athletes get what they put into the game and much may be learned by experience.

“The JV team has grown a great deal, from their skill level at the beginning of the season, to their efforts and hustles,”she said.

“Varsity has been in almost every game this season and had a chance to win the close games, which is what we said was a goal at the end of last season,” said Kinniard.

“One thing we can work on is our midfield play, from 25 to 25 we lose the ball too much,” said Annabelle Farmer.

“By keeping the ball in the midfield we have many more chances of getting the ball in the circle and either drawing a corner or scoring,” she said.

The players, both seasoned and new, say one of the most important aspects of playing well and growing into a strong team is establishing camaraderie and connection to one another.

“I think our team has built such strong relationships this year and that has helped us work together as a team on the field and in games,” said Auzlynd Katterhenrich, a LHS junior and field hockey athlete.

In regards to whether a season is successful, Katterhenrich said it all comes down to attitude, not necessarily wins and losses.

“I think we just need to be more encouraging and realize that the amount of effort you put in the sport determines how much you get out of it,” she said.