Team effort key to field hockeyteam's late success

by Meghan Merkel assistant perspectives editor

Things started out rough for Cabrini's field hockey team. Losing its first four games, the season looked dismal. It was as if a little black raincloud followed the team wherever it went.

Lauren Calamia, a sophomore, comments, "We started out flat. We weren't picked to do so well. We knew we had to come together to turn it around." So they did.

Entering the month of October, the field hockey team won seven out of nine of its games.

"We brought it together. If there were differences, we didn't bring it on the field. We played ·as a team," junior Amanda DiGiorgio reflects.

The team finished fourth in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference for the regular season. With leading scorer and captain Lisa Reynolds, a junior, scoring the winning goal in overtime against Misericordia, the team found itself on a long trip to Wesley College.

For the first half of the semifinal game, there was not a raincloud in sight.

"We completely dominated the first half," sophomore Melissa McDondough exclaims. "At halftime the score was 1-0, our lead. We really felt we were going to win."

They fought hard.

Even senior captain Christine " the wall" Aldorasi's consistent defense could not keep that raincloud away.

" It was a tough loss. We played well but our biggest challenge

was our inability to score,"Coach

Jackie Neary said. The final score was Wesley 3, Cabrini 1. But rainy days don't last forever.

The team is young, consisting of seven sophomores and seven juniors. Aldorasi and co-captain Ashley Pietropaolo are the only seniors.

" By the end of the season we were like a family." Calamia adds.

Coach Neary agreed. " Since we bad a rough start, it was a pleasant surprise that we made it to the playoffs. It was an enjoyable sea- son. The team consists of a great group of girls."

The team feels the same way ' about its coach. " Jackie's a great motivator. She finds a way to deliver criticism in a positive way," Reynolds said.

The field hockey team finished fourth in the post-season play. As for the future, Coach Neary is already recruiting.

The forecast calls for sunny skies next season.