A hard-fought battle against the Juniata Eagles leaves the Red Devils optimistic about their upcoming season. Despite falling 2-1 in their season opener on Saturday, Aug. 31, the Red Devils feel their goal of making the playoffs this season is realistic.
The Devils struggled offensively at the start of the game and fell to a 2-0 deficit at the beginning of the second half. Forward Catherine Perlmutter ‘17 netted a shot with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game, increasing the intensity of the final minutes by slicing the lead in half. The shot was a rebound from an attempt made by midfielder Ali Becker ‘15. Perlmutter had two shots on goal and was a big factor in her college field hockey debut.
The Devils were able to conjure another chance to score with a penalty corner in the 65th minute of the 70 minute game, but the powerful shot of midfielder Caroline Karwel ‘16, a returning All-Conference Honorable Mention selection, was stopped by the Eagles’ goaltender. Karwel is excited about the future of the Red Devils this season, explaining that they “have a lot of potential for the season, we have a lot of first years who are really stepping up and making huge contributions on the field.” Dickinson Field Hockey fielded a young team on Saturday with 5 First-Years in the starting lineup.
The Devils contended fiercely throughout the game and led the Eagles 6-5 in shots and 4-2 in penalty corners. Goalie Katie Schlechtweg ‘14 made a pair of saves to enforce the Devils’ defensive efforts behind a strong midfield and defense that shut down the majority Juniata’s attack.
The Red Devils’ overall 2012 season record was 7-11 and they finished 2-8 in the Centennial Conference. In the preseason rankings, Dickinson Field Hockey was ranked 9th out of 11 teams; a ranking they look to disprove in the 2013 season. Given the intensity and enthusiasm displayed against Juniata, who was ranked 3rd in the Landmark Conference preseason rankings, we can expect the Red Devils to be big competitors this season. Natalie Polk ‘15 believes that “the final score of the Juniata game did not accurately depict what Dickinson College Field Hockey has to offer this year. We dominated for all 70 minutes…The difference – they were able to capitalize more effectively on offensive opportunities and we struggled.” This coming week in practice the team hopes to improve on their finishing skills in the circle and on team defense. The Red Devils will use the Juniata game as motivation heading forward. “With each practice and game, we will improve and match up to every team we play in this conference. It’s going to be a fight, but that’s what DCFH is all about,” said Polk.
The team will travel to Wilson College in Chambersburg on Wednesday, Sept. 4 with a 4:30 p.m. start and will make their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 7 against Susquehanna at 11 a.m.