The varsity field hockey team came up short against Marquette on Sept. 25.
Although they dominated possession for the majority of the game, the Falcons were unable to score meaningful goals and were ultimately defeated on Senior Night. The game was highlighted by missed chances and wasted possessions by both teams, especially for Summit. Coach Mark Matusiak said his team played just how they had hoped, regardless of what the scoreboard says.
“We were really proud about how they played. They did not give up. There were a couple plays that did not go our way, and they were game-changing plays.The score does not reflect how well they played and how much pressure we had on them,” Matusiak said.
While Marquette is a formidable opponent, senior captain Caleigh O’Neill said the team was prepared to play a tough game, given how important Senior Night is for everyone involved.
“It was a very important game for the seniors. We had high expectations to come out and play them hard because we barely beat them in the Lafayette tournament,” O’Neill said.
Field hockey saw Marquette earlier in the season on Sept. 9 during a district tournament at Lafayette, where the Falcons won 3-2 in shootouts. Despite this result, they were unable to replicate their win at home. Prior to the game, Matusiak said his team focused their efforts on stopping Marquette’s unique playing style.
“We knew their high scorers, and so we made sure they were marked up. That did help slow them down. We knew how they’d run their corners so we knew what corners we wanted to run on them. Things just didn’t pan out exactly how we wanted them,” Matusiak said.
O’Neill said defensive issues combined with a lack of scoring threats were the main problems that they faced in the game, allowing multiple Marquette goals off of break-away chances.
“We did not have high pressure in the 16, and we lacked discipline. [We need a] more disciplined defense and more aggressive offense,” O’Neill said.
Even though they might have lost this game, Matusiak remains confident in his team’s ability to bounce back from adversity and finish the season strong.
“The way that they’re going now, I think it’s going to be a great finish. They haven’t stopped. We’ve met adversity within games and [are able to] comeback. And now we see adversity in the weeks, and [in] who we’re playing and our girls still come to practice with the right attitude and work ethic and I think that’s gonna really dictate how the end of the season looks, and I think it’s gonna look good,” Matusiak said.
