Written by Ian Gillen
Weeks before the school year starts, many of our athletes are back on campus already hard at work. Among these athletes are the Lady Maroons from the Field Hockey team. As Kelsey Martin, a senior midfielder, describes, the team begins their rigorous schedule in the middle of August and it continues through most of the semester.
After a home win Wednesday over Ferrum, the team is now 5-1 on the season after having to cancel several games due Hurricane Florence. Practices are in full force, as the team spends over ten hours every week practicing and playing for their push toward ODACs. After last season’s finish in the ODAC semifinals, the team hopes to go farther this year in order to gain a spot in the NCAA tournament.
Part of the team’s early success can be attributed to their pregame excitement. The team’s locker room ritual includes loud music, louder singing and even greater zest. Even on bus rides, Martin says the team can get rowdy when they know that game time is near. Game days combined with those times of getting pumped up with teammates are some of Martin’s favorite moments of being on the team.
While the team is made up of a lot of seniors, the underclassmen are offering the team a lot of hope not only for the remainder of this season, but also in the years to come. The team is in search of its first ODAC Championship in over a decade and is working hard every day to reach their goal.
