The Red Devils are entering the most strenuous part of their schedule. Their regular season is coming to an end after playing #19 Gettysburg and #6 Swathmore. As of April 15th, Dickinson boasts an impressive 10-2 record with the only losses being against top ten ranked teams. Their focus will quickly have to shift to the centennial conference tournament and then the Division Three tournament.  

Despite their impressive record, Coach Dave Webster ’88 believes that his team is capable of more. 

“We did not handle it great this past weekend (referring to March 30th’s victory). We have to realize that every team we play is excited to play us and we’re getting every teams best game. We have to expect that, appreciate that and prepare with that in mind, and we failed to do that.” 

The tiring grind of the season does not make the Red Devils’ lives easier. Dickinson have had to cope with quick turnarounds. Often playing on Wednesday and  Saturdaycan be physically and mentally wearing. 

“We were tired, and thats something that you learn from and adjust to that. You learn how to respond quickly after a Wednesday game, it’s something we will get better at,” Webster said. 

After winning the Centennial Conference Championship in 2022, the team felt their high expectations was limiting their play. 

Captain Ben Tomick ’24 described how their motto, “Let it fly,” came to be. 

“It was new to us, having those high expectations and we started the season off tight. You could tell we weren’t playing loose and the outside noise was effecting us. Once we realized that, we played so much better, just, letting it fly, it let us play better,” Tomick said. 

“Specifically this year versus last year, we have embraced the expectations. We know, ‘hey we’re a good team’, but let’s go prove it. Lets embrace that and play with confidence, mixing it with being loose helps us a lot.” 

Coach Webster also emphasizes the importance of the energy that he calls the hallmark of his team. 

“We recruit that, we promote that, we have a real fun atmosphere in our locker room and our sideline. Energy is a big part of that and we always talk about winning that battle every game.” 

Dickinson’s atmosphere on and off the field is evident. The goal celebrations from the sidelines show a team that is fully bought into the program and the motto.

Tomick ‘24, a short-stick defensive middy, discussed the camaraderie within the squad. 

“I think one thing we emphasize all year is everyone plays a role, whether you’re a four year starter or a freshman who doesn’t get much time. We emphasize that at practice with scout stuff. We really have guys buying in, in practice and that really prepares them when they are called upon for injuries and such.” 

The injuries and fatigue are part of the taxing season. Coach Webster spoke about losing Ethan Gess ‘25 and James Isaacson ‘24 to injury.“Ethan Gess is out, James Isaacson is out, two of our top middies who have been our starting middies for two to three years, so those are big losses. Sam Bunton ‘26, who is one of our top defensive middies is also out, so in the middle of the field we are missing real key guys.” 

Skyler Schluter ‘24, is in his second year as a Captain for the Red Devils. Schluter spoke about the fatigue mid-season and how the team can overcome it heading into a daunting conference schedule. 

“It’s more of a mental thing than anything else, it’s tough to have back to back to back conference games and you play some good teams on Wednesday and Saturday. The toughest thing is playing those games and resetting mentally to get yourself in the right mindset to play the next team.” Speaking on the St. Mary’s win, Schluter said that “We had a big conference win that Wednesday against Franklin & Marshall and I don’t think that we came out with the right mentality going into Saturday’s game against St. Mary’s. It’s the same recipe week after week and I think we need to do a better job getting our mentality shifted to the next game a little sooner.” 

Schluter, an attacker for the Red Devils, also spoke about the bond he has with the team. 

“As a captain, for me, it’s never really been about contributing, I love to, but I want to walk away knowing I impacted a lot of guys on the team in a way. Being their friend and someone they can come to and someone they can trust and count on as a leader. That’s where I draw my success to, the contributions on the field are cool, but I want to leave an impact on the guys knowing they can do the same thing, whether they are playing or not.” 

Both Tomick and Schluter commended Coach Webster for being an excellent motivator. Following their victory over St. Mary’s, Webster came in on that Monday fired up and ready to get them back into gear. 

His message was that there are “Only guaranteed 16 practices and 5 games.”  Clearly, their focus is on trying to get a lot more than that.

With the right mentality and the return of key pieces across the field, the Red Devils are loading up for a deep playoff run. One that may see them three-peat the Centennial Conference for the second time under Coach Webster. The brotherhood in the locker room and on the field is apparent, now it’s time for the Devils to pu