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Senior captains Ellen Rowe and Rachel Walsh have been updating Hawk fans throughout the season via the "Captain's Corner" blog. As their seniors seasons came to an end, both student-athletes shared their reflections on four years of Hawk field hockey. It's been a little over a week since our season is over and it still doesn't feel real to me. No more early morning practices, sleepless nights before games, pre-game pasta dinners, bus trip pranks or locker room talks. My last blog was before the Lock Haven game. This was how things panned out since that point on. Friday morning we loaded up the bus for our last away game of the season, and the seniors' last away game ever. It was roughly a three-hour ride to Lock Haven's mountainous field on a chilly, bleak fall day. The ride up was fairly tame. Everyone listened to their iPods as their minds weighed heavily on the pending game. Upon arrival, we entered the locker room of our rival, a familiar scene for some. Some of the freshmen class was assigned pump-up duty for the day. They chose to read an inspirational excerpt from the ice hockey movie "Miracle" and ask all of the players to turn to the person on her right and say what she brings to the team. Shortly after, we headed out to the field for warm-up. When it was time for the official start of the game, we were ready to take them on. The entire game was an all-out brawl. After scoring in the last few minutes of the game, we had tied it up; signaling overtime. The score was 1-1. The Hawks battled for the first overtime period. It was exhausting, and although we were controlling the game, we couldn't put one in to end it. We were headed for a second period of overtime. I had a feeling we were going to pull through. We were the faster bunch out there. It seemed like it was in the cards for us. But shortly after the start of the second half there was a controversial call and Lock Haven had come out with the W. Despite the outcome, we fought hard all the way til the end, and I'm proud of my team for overcoming the adversity with the refs, opposing team, and the Lock Haven fans. We may not have left the field winners on the scoreboard, but we were winners in our hearts. After Friday, we had one final practice for the 2011 season, and due to inclement weather, we didn't even get to spend it on Ellen Ryan Field. We played a relaxing, yet competitive, game of kickball in the gym (which the upperclassmen won) due to an odd downpour of snow outside. That night brought on a mixture of feelings. Sunday was Senior Day, a day that is supposed to be happy and fun, but it was also our last game, which was sad. Going to sleep that night was hard. It was my last "night-before-a-game" butterflies I would experience. The next morning the seniors entered the hallway to the locker room together for one last time. The underclassmen decorated the walls with posters with our names. Inside the locker room, they had strung lights from the ceiling, put balloons with our names on them on our stools, decorated every aspect of our lockers and had the nicest Senior Day shirts made. We were all so thankful to have such great underclassmen that appreciate us. After our final pregame talk, it was time to hit the field for one last game. Hung on the practice field hockey cages were life-size action shot posters of the five seniors. We were announced with our parents before the start of the game. Four years worth of accomplishments from years of dedication to the sport were announced to the stands. With tears in our eyes and heavy hearts we accepted our framed photos and flowers. Our names were announced for one final time as we ran through the team, slapping hands and cheering for each other. Holding hands, we silently stood in the middle of the field for the national anthem. Theresa Testa yelled, "HERE WE GO ST. JOES!" one last time, which is something that I will remember every time I hear the national anthem. For 70 minutes everyone on that field played her heart out. The final score was 3-1 Hawks over Saint Louis. As the seconds ticked down and the final whistle blew, I closed my eyes and savored the moment. I turned to my left and hugged Therese Doyle as the team ran on to the field to embrace each other. It was a bittersweet feeling, moreso sad than anything. What we have come to know and love had come to an end. As an athlete, you never think that the day will come when you hang up your turfs and clean out your locker, never to set foot on the field again wearing that uniform. Even as the days started winding down in our season I never truly thought that final day would come. I guess I was in denial. I wish more than anything that I could be a freshman again. I'd give anything for one more season, but then again I wouldn't be ready for that one to end either. As sad as it is, I know that something I am so passionate about will be a part of my life forever. My field hockey days at SJU may have ended, but field hockey will never "end" for me. Thank you to all the dedicated fans that have supported us through countless adversities over the years. Thank you to all of the parents, who throw the best tailgates in the world. Thank you to all of the coaches who have been with us in the last four seasons. And finally, I want to thank all of the girls on the team, past and present, for being wonderful teammates through thick and thin, wins and losses. I will never forget staying in the Crowne Plaza for preseason freshmen year, bottomless chips at Chili's, plyos practices during free period with Jackie in the asbestos gym, forking Mary Beaman's lawn, THE GAUNTLET, Tuesday morning non-stop running sessions, the hurricane practice, the little boys taunting us at Drexel, Ted, the index card game in the hotels, beating the underclassmen at every singing contest on the bus, our many nights at Olive Garden (where it was always someone's birthday), finally getting a home field, the infinite weekend, temporarily severing friendships during "competition practices" and so much more. The times with the team will always be my favorite college memories. To the underclassmen: best of luck next season! Strive to be undefeated and never give up. To my seniors: thanks for so many precious memories. We had a good run. I love you all, and I know we will be friends for life. Ruff Ryders <3 -Ellen  It breaks my heart to have to type this last blog: our season has ended. These girls, my team, and I will never step on the same field together again. That thought brings tears to my eyes every time it enters into my head, but I look back on the years I've spent with this incredible group of people and I just have to sit back and smile. When I look back on my career and this season, it's not the wins or losses I'll remember, it's the memories I've created with our team--my family. Sure, there are some games that will forever be embedded in my mind, like our overtime win against Villanova and our Senior Day game against Saint Louis. Those games were two of the best: the Villanova game we came together as a team to collectively pull out a well-deserved win, and the Saint Louis game was just memorable on so many levels (it was my Senior Day game, last game ever, and we played an amazing game collectively). I could go on and on and on about memories off the field that I'll take with me for life. I won't bore readers, but for my fellow teammates: practicing in hurricanes, being slimed, saw masks on road trips, T-pain's infamous song, GET OUTTA YOUR MIND, van rides to Drexel, and so many more. I leave SJUFH knowing that these stories will keep me connected to this program, and to my teammates (past and present) for life. Overall, this season has taught me a lot of things. I learned how to represent and speak for my team, and to communicate effectively. I have learned how to work with new teammates and strengthen my relationships with older ones. I am better at accepting defeat, but more importantly cherishing victories. Most importantly, I have learned to move forward with my team, accept what I cannot change, and better myself for my team along the way. To my team: I love you all very much. You girls have been with me through good and bad. We share so many memories, so many goals, and so much love. FRESHMEN, to you, this all was so new. I commend you for dealing with the tremendous changes you have experienced this year with excellence and poise. Coming into a new team at an intense level can be so hard, but you gave us no choice but to love you. I hope you get all you want out of this program and that you keep making strides to achieve your goals. You helped shaped my season and definitely made it VERY interesting, and fairy-dust filled. You are all princesses to me. SOPHOMORES, you too have so much going for you. Your hard work continues to surprise me, and you inspire me to better myself. You bring such a spark to this team, not to mention temptations to go shopping (Sara). JUNIORS, you are the closest class to us, and I'm happy to have spent a majority of my career at St. Joe's with you. From the moment you came in as little freshmen, we've hit it off and been close. I couldn't ask for a better group of girls to carry on the legacy. You girls have what it takes to go far, and I'll be there to cheer you on every step of the way. Finally, to my four best friends, the five of us have been through it all. This season wasn't the most perfect, but we did the best we could to leave our mark on SJUFH--and looking back, I believe we did. We have overcome so much together and have come out of this with the most important thing: each other. I wouldn't trade having a field or winning a championship for the experiences I've had with all of you. Like I said before, this season wasn't that great on paper, but to me, it was all it should've been. I learned so much on and off the field, strengthened my relationships, and built new ones. I look forward to the next chapter in my life, and to supporting SJUFH in its next chapter. I am so grateful and happy to have been a part of such an amazing organization with dedicated, motivating coaches, and a family full of amazing girls. -Rachel
By: Trevor Dougherty
The team has just finished participating in the 5th
annual Nick Colleluori Classic with successful showings against both the
University of Michigan and Mount St. Mary's University. It was a great day for our team all
around - beautiful weather, a delicious tailgate and contributing to a
wonderful cause, on top of competing against two strong lacrosse teams. It was enjoyable for the coaches,
players, parents and fans to watch a fast-paced and energetic team continue to
gain confidence on the field throughout the day.
With that being said, the men on the team realize that there
is still a ways to go in the improvement process. We are finishing up Phase 1 of our season in the next few
days with Alumni Weekend as we welcome back to campus previous Hawk players. The alumni are playing a crucial role
in the development of this program and we are looking forward to introducing
them to the newest brand of St. Joe's lacrosse. Shortly after, we will be jumping into Phase 2 of our season
with increased strength, speed and conditioning workouts, along with individual
skills sessions. We are viewing
Phase 2 as a great opportunity to get ahead of our opponents and be better
prepared for the upcoming season.
We have set high standards for ourselves and these next few months will
be an important step in helping us to meet those expectations.
The team as a whole would like to again thank the parents
for hosting a wonderful tailgate during the HEADstrong Classic. The amount of time, effort and
preparation that goes into each tailgate is always appreciated. The meals are consistently top-notch;
though I might add, everything tastes much better after a win. With your continued support, we are
looking forward to making this an unforgettable season for St. Joe's
lacrosse. Go Hawks.
by Ellen Rowe I struggle to write this blog knowing that after this weekend our
road to the Atlantic 10 Tournament has come to a halt. It began with the
Richmond game this past Friday.
We practiced that week knowing that the coming weekend's games were
crucial to our fate. Richmond is always a very skilled team. The past
years have been tough losses to Richmond, however this season we were
looking for a win. The game began with an SJU tap off at the center of
the field. We kept the ball in our offensive end for quite some time.
In my mind I began to think that this was the year we would finally
beat Richmond. The Spiders managed to have some lucky breakaways that
led to goals, and at halftime they led, 3-1. All hope was not lost. We
came out in the second half looking to even up the scoreboard.
Richmond, unfortunately, fought to keep their lead. The final score of
the match was 6-3. It was a devastating loss for the Hawks. This loss
meant that we had to win every single one of our last three games in
order to make it into the A-10 tournament. There was absolutely no room
for error. If that isn't a tremendous amount of pressure, then I don't
know what is. We had only one day of practice to gather our thoughts and prepare for Sunday's
game against La Salle. To make matters worse, we had the extreme
disadvantage of playing on La Salle's grass turf, which is
very different from the Astroturf we normally play on. This was a
complete game-changer. The pace of the ball is much slower and very
bouncy. We came out hard in the first half, dominating in our offensive
end. At halftime the score was 0-0. This was going to be a battle to
the end, with both teams knowing this win was crucial for a spot in the
tournament. I had a good feeling about the game. Everyone was playing
their hardest. We wanted this win. We NEEDED this win. In the second
half L aSalle scored two goals. The Hawks managed to score one in the
last 25 seconds, but it was not enough. The game was over, and so was
our chance of making the tournament. If heart alone could win
games, we would have beaten La Salle by a long-shot. Everyone worked so
hard, and to come up short is completely devastating. In my mind, we
won that game. We outplayed them, outshot them and poured all our
energy into that 70-minute span. The score doesn't show it, but it
should. We should be in that tournament and the fact that we aren't
will eat at me forever. For the seniors, we had a good run. We won't
get to play with the team in another A-10 tournament, but we do have
two conference games left to finish out our season. It will be hard to
make it through our last collegiate week of field hockey, knowing the
end is near. We have three practices before we pay a visit to Lock
Haven on Friday and then end our season with Senior Day versus Saint Louis at home on Sunday.
It's going to be a bittersweet day for the seniors, as the last chapter
of our collegiate hockey careers comes to a close. The season isn't
over yet, so let's end on a positive note as a team with two wins this
week and soak up the last memories of the 2011 SJUFH season. -Ellen
by Rachel Walsh
This past week we had four games, and split 50/50. We won against
Villanova and Georgetown and lost to Temple and UMass. This busy, busy
week has taught us a lot about what we need to do to advance in our
conference. Even though we're 0-2 in Atlantic 10 play, we're keeping our heads
up and moving forward as a team.
The game against Villanova was a roller coaster to say the least.
We scored first, and were able to keep them at our heels in the first
half; but they answered back in the second half with two goals, one of
which was scored with 1:21 left on the clock. A timeout was called, and
we knew what we had to do: get it into their circle. The next minute
felt like 5 seconds. Then, with 30 seconds left on the clock, we earned
a penalty corner and executed it PERFECTLY. GOOOOOOAAAAAALLLL :) !!!!
In the 15 minute overtime that was to follow, Therese Doyle would score
a goal with 6 minutes left. We were all ecstatic! Not only did we win
the "Holy War" for the first time in what seems like forever, we also
proved to ourselves that we could come from behind, execute when we
need to, and come out on top against a good team. This game was no
joke, we knew going into it that it would be a hard game (because it
always is) and we knew 'Nova had a good team. We dominated a majority of
the game. It was unfortunate that we had those two minor breakdowns
that they capitalized on, but overall everyone was completely happy
with the result. Finally, the curse of losing every home game (to that point) on our home turf was broken!
Despite the exciment of Wednesday's
game, our team kept working (bright and early) the next morning at
practice. We had a few letdowns and we knew UMass could capitalize on
our breakdowns if we didn't address them. Individual defense was a main
focus, as well as perfect offensive penalty corners. Then it was off
the Amherst, where we would play our second conference game.
The result was extremely disappointing. UMass got an early lead as
they scored off a tip on a penalty corner within the first two minutes
of the game. We were able to hold them off for another 17 minutes, but
they notched two more goals before half. We knew we had to step it
up: our individual defense was poor, and we couldnt get it past their
defense. The second half was a blur; UMass scored four more goals to make
the final score 7-0. We were upset, disappointed, embarrassed. This game
highlighted major mistakes we make, but we're ready to fix them and ready
to move forward within the conference. We all vowed to leave 110% out
on the field at practice this week and leave the past games behind us.
"There's a reason why your rearview mirror is so much smaller than your
windshield." We have four games left, all four in-conference, and all
four teams are beatable. To seal our spot in the conference tournament we would have
to win three out of the four, but winning all four would definitely
help.
LET'S GO SJUFH! BEAT RICHMOND!
-Rachel
By: Matt Germain
Another week down, and another week closer to the official start of the 2012 lacrosse season. As we finish out our final week of practice before the HEADstrong Lacrosse Tournament, we continue to prepare ourselves for the first big test of the 2011-2012 season. We are set to take on two quality opponents this Saturday in the University of Michigan, and Mount Saint Mary's.
As October 8th draws closer, the men on our team are showing increasing levels of excitement and intensity to show the lacrosse community what the new Saint Joseph's University men's lacrosse team is all about. This fall we have already made huge strides towards accomplishing our goals for the year, and continue to work everyday to get better. Our coaches have instilled the mentality in us that we should focus on getting a little better everyday, because the cumulative effects will have a big impact on our level of success this year.
The team has been working extremely hard both on and off the field not only with lacrosse, but in the classroom and community as well. Our hope is to not only excel on the lacrosse field, but as students and young men. I trust that as you read this blog, and the ones to come, you will get excited to see the progress our team has made in just a few short weeks. I am confident in saying that this truly is a different team, and we look forward to showing you this Saturday. We look forward to seeing everyone, to take the first step towards a great season. Go Hawks!
by Ellen Rowe What a busy few weeks its been for the field hockey team! We took on nationally-ranked Cal at home and put up a tough fight, yet couldn't pull
through. They were a really talented team and we learned a lot from
playing them. Shortly thereafter, we traveled to Albany to take on Siena
and had a great 7-1 win! It was a great team effort by all. A lot of
the freshmen got a chance to show how hard they have been working.
Megan DeMarco got her first collegiate goal! Congrats Meg! Nicole Gerdes had
her first multi-goal game, scoring two goals in the match. Good work
Nicole! Siena was our first true road trip this season and it was a
lot of fun. Our next game was against Temple on October 7th. We
came into that game knowing it was going to be very tough. The Owls are
our biggest rivals in Philly, and we knew they had a very aggressive
team this year. Before the game was the field dedication for SJU
legend Ellen Ryan. It was a very special moment for Ellen and all who
attended. She seemed very touched by the tremendous turnout and
support for the event. We were all very honored to get to be a part of
that historical moment. Congrats Ellen and thank you for supporting our
team all these years! We are proud to play in your name. After the
dedication it was game time. Temple came out with guns blazing. Despite
our countless efforts, they ended up winning the game, 4-1. It was a
physical and mental battle, as always, with the Owls. Hopefully we will
see them again in the A-10 tournament; this time coming out on top.
The
day after Temple, the Hawks were on the road again. It was a crazy bus
ride to Washington, D.C. filled with song battles, movies and stealing
Joe's camera to record some videos of our own. We had a game with
Georgetown University this afternoon. Georgetown was a not a team to be
taken lightly. They put up a tough fight, but we managed to
squeak by with a 1-0 win. Jordan Martin had her fifth goal of the
season, and Liz Messaros earned the shutout in the cage.Congrats to
everyone on the win today and lets use this as momentum for the rest of the week! The busy week continues with a game Wednesday
afternoon at Ellen Ryan Field against cross-town rivals Villanova. We
are looking for our first win on the new field! The day after we will
be traveling the Amherst for a Friday game at UMass. This will be one of our hardest games thus far. We really need to work extra hard and win our second A-10 game. Friday's
match is very crucial for our conference play. It won't be easy, but I
believe we have what it takes to pull off an upset. Here we go Hawks! -Ellen
By: Chris Jenkins
This year has been a big step up from the last few years for the men
on the team. We have been practicing harder, lifting more, and
conditioning like never before. The team has been attacking every
workout and practice session with an enthusiasm and drive that was
definitely lacking in the last few years.
We look forward to showcasing all the hard work in the
upcoming headstrong tournament next weekend. Coach Wray and coaches Mike
Keating and Dan Keating
have done a great job preparing us for our games against Michigan and
Mount Saint Mary's. We have improved so much just over the last few
weeks that it is very exciting to see what will be able to do this
season. The team on the field next weekend will look much different.
We hope that this tournament will be the building block to the beginning
of a very successful season for St. Joe's Lacrosse.
On a different note, we have begun doing weekly community service
at several locations around campus to give back to the Philadelphia
community. My service group has been visiting the Simpson House
Retirement Home. It has been a great experience thus far and very
rewarding to give back to all the people living there. The residents of
the home are excited to see us every week, they love telling us stories
about their lives, playing trivia, and even throwing a ball around.
Weekly service is a nice change up from the normal physically taxing
sessions we have all week and gives us a chance to relax while giving
back. This is going to be a great year and we have started off on the
right foot, working hard on and off the field.
by Ellen Rowe Saturday
afternoon was what the SJU field hockey team has been waiting for for
four years. FINALLY we had our very first home game since 2007. Drexel
graciously allowed us to play our home games on their turf the past
three and a half seasons, but we were very thankful to be home. No one
truly knows the feeling experienced by all the girls on the team that
day. It started in the locker room. Before, we used to get ready and
get on the bus to travel to home games. Now, we have more time to have team
meetings. Being able to line up in the lobby and walk down the path to
the field was something none of us ever experienced before. To us, it
was a luxury that others take for granted. As we began warming up, we
noticed the crowd. The first to show were our parents, accustomed to
coming early to every game. Then the students, faculty and other fans
began trickling in. For many students, they had never seen a collegiate
hockey game at SJU. None of us have ever played in front of a crowd
like that before. It may
have not been that big to some people, but to us it was amazing. The
cheering from the stands is what I will most remember about my first
game on Ellen Ryan Field. Hearing people pulling for you really gives
you more of an edge in the game. Scoring three goals in a two-minute
span was something that I also credit to the fanbase in addition to
our hard work. Hearing the reaction from people was so exciting. In the
past, we always played for ourselves, our coaches and our parents. Now
we have our student body. That support is something we are very happy
to finally have.
The astonishing loss on Saturday
was a lesson learned the hard way. It was a crazy game, and no one
would have thought it would end the way it did. It just goes to show
that no matter how big the lead you can never let your guard down. Its
a battle all the way to the end. And with that being said, Thursday
at 4 p.m. we will take on 12th-ranked Cal. And it you can bet
that we will be fighting all the way 'til the last buzzer. Time for
redemption. Thank you to everyone who came out last weekend. It was very much appreciated and we hope to see the same turnout Thursday! GO HAWKS! -Ellen
by Rachel Walsh
Can you say "winning streak?!"
I'm so proud of my Hawks for pulling out a win this past Sunday. We need this momentum to keep us moving forward, especially since we're returning home this Saturday for our first HOME GAME in almost four years!!
We
dominated the whole 70 minutes against Lehigh, which is something we
can't say about previous games. We came together, focused on what we
needed to do, and executed. Our offensive cutting and presenting to the
ball allowed us to easily pass through Lehigh's defense and create
many opportunities. Although we created a lot of good forward movement,
we still need to capitalize more often to score more. For the most
part we executed offensive corners as well, and Meghan Githens scored
her first goal of the season off of a great corner tip. Congrats, Meg!
On the defensive end of things, we stepped up in front of the opposing
offense and pressed extremely well, so we were able to keep them to only
a few counter attacks. Another order of congratulations: Liz Messaros
also had her first shutout of the year!
I thought we really
came together last weekend and last week at practice, which yielded our
success. From the girls on the field to the girls on the sideline,
there was a composure about us. We supported each other when things were
rough and we came through it on top with a win.
This week at practice we're focusing on circle defense and offensive movement so we can be successful on Saturday against
Delaware and finally show SJU fans what we've got! We're so excited to
be coming home to St. Joe's and to keep our winning streak going!
Look forward to seeing you all this weekend!
-Rachel
Congratulations to the SJU field hockey team
for pulling off a big win this afternoon! The team had a long week of
practice to prepare for today's game against Penn. The win was much
anticipated after a rough start to the season. There were many emotions
going into today's game. Last season was a very controversial game in
which we lost in overtime to our local rivals. We started the week of
practice knowing we wanted to get revenge.
After reviewing our past
games, we realized we had a lot to work on before our next match. In
practice this week, we focused on 2-v-1 drills to help us work on our
ball movement and cuts off the ball. In addition, the defense worked on
perfecting defensive corners. This was showcased during the game in
which Penn had several corners and didn't capitalize on any. Great job,
defense! Offensively, we worked on tracking the ball toward our
defenders before laying a pass to a teammate and penetrating the circle
as soon as we pass our offensive 25-yard-line. Once in the circle, we
practiced taking quick shots on the cage and being prepared to receive the
rebounds. Our mindset coming into today's game was to have a positive
attitude and believe in each other. We were confident we could apply
all of the skills we worked on during training this week and come out
on top. One
of our goals was to score first in an attempt to shake the other team
and get ahead quickly. We succeeded in doing so, capitalizing on our
first corner off of a precise stick stop by Rachel Walsh and a
beautiful sweep from Theresa Testa back to me at the insert. The Hawks
didn't stop here. We continued with the momentum by scoring on another
corner with a sweep from Testa and tip into the cage by Jordan Martin. It was 2-0 Hawks
going into the second half. We were all excited to be in the lead, but
we knew it wasn't enough. We knew Penn would fight to the end so we
couldn't let up. Ashlee Willis had a nice reverse sweep into the cage
to make the score 3-0 SJU with only a few minutes remaining in the
half. Unfortunately, Penn counterattacked, adding one goal to make the
final score 3-1 Hawks. Liz Messaros and the defense played a great
game, holding off several shot attempts by our opponents. Overall, it
was a great team effort by all and I am proud of everyone! Let's keep
this momentum going into the rest of the season, as we get ready to
take on Lehigh next weekend! Keep working hard and believing in each
other. Good job girls! -Ellen
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