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