Field Hockey Concludes Regular Season
The 2019 field hockey team (Photo courtesy of Gettysburg College Athletics)
By John Zak, Staff Writer
The Gettysburg College Field Hockey team fell 6-1 on Wednesday to Johns Hopkins. This was the third straight loss in what seems to be a tough stretch for the team the last three games.
The loss against Johns Hopkins places the team at 9-8 this season, with a 4-5 record in Centennial Conference play.
During the game, Senior goalkeeper Jillian Caputo recorded eleven saves, an impressive performance considering the pressure Johns Hopkins placed on Caputo by outshooting Gettysburg 26-10. Caputo’s eleven saves ties her season high which she reached earlier this season against Catholic.
Sophomore forward Lauren Beccaria recorded the team’s sole goal out of two shot attempts and was helped by Junior midfielder Emma Bertrando who shot four times on goal.
The game unfolded with Johns Hopkins launching an aggressive offense that first shot on goal 4:51 minutes into the game. Hopkins then exploited the opportunity of a penalty corner by scoring to make the game 1-0.
Two minutes later, Hopkins scored again to make the game 2-0 by the end of the first quarter. The offensive pressure on the Bullets continued as Caputo managed to save five shots in a matter of twelve minutes, however Hopkins managed to score on a penalty shot that made the game 3-0. Caputo recorded two more saves by the end of the first half.
At the start of the second half, Hopkins was able to attempt another penalty shot and once again scored in the thirty-fifth minute, making the game 4-0.
A shot in the 39th minute by Bertrando was saved by Johns Hopkins goalkeeper Kaitlin Hall. The Blue Jays then struck back by getting assisted goals in the forty-first and forty-third minutes respectively, putting the Bullets down 6-0.
The Bullets worked hard to catch up in the fourth quarter, launching an offensive attack that consisted of half the team’s shots on goal. This attack unfortunately for the Bullets resulted in one goal that was scored by Beccaria in the forty-ninth minute of the game, achieving the final score of 6-1.
Johns Hopkins has now won the last three appearances against Gettysburg, placing the overall record against the Centennial Conference rival at 22-19-1 in The Blue Jays’ favor.
The team during this match also pledged to raise money for hurricane relief efforts in the Bahamas, devastated earlier this Fall by Hurricane Dorian. Along with the Volleyball, and both Soccer Teams, the Field Hockey team participated in this philanthropic effort. They raised enthusiasm for the event by handing out “#BahamasStrong” bracelets to those who bought tickets to benefit relief efforts.
The loss experienced by the Bullets last Wednesday meant the team’s playoff hopes rested on their next game against Dickinson on Saturday November 2. The Bullets looked utilize their home field advantage for this match in order to secure a spot in the Centennial Conference playoffs by beating the 9-7 Dickinson team.
Defeating the Red Devils 3-2 in a thrilling overtime match means Gettysburg will have the opportunity to play for a chance to win the Centennial Conference.
Head Coach Barb Jordan stated in an interview with Gettysburg Athletics regarding goals for the Bullets Field Hockey Team this season “We have been close and I am hopeful that we learned from those difficult moments last year and are ready to take that next step,” Jordan stated further “I think that is why the mental toughness and experience will play a big part in how we finish this year.”
This statement in reference to the team’s postseason hopes will be put to the test as the Bullets travel to Bryn Mawr tomorrow. Win, and they’ll travel down to Hopkins for the conference semifinal Friday.
