After beating No. 7 Regis College at the senior day game, the Lasell field hockey team was able to take their spot and give themselves a better position for when the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) playoffs began. However, the Lasers have had to fight hard all season to win their games.
Due to multiple players getting injured throughout the season, the field hockey team has had to change their roster and positioning for many of their games. Causing the team to learn how to adapt to these changes.
Part of adapting to these changes has been having to continue to find a motivator, and for freshman Megan Crabtree, that motivator has been each other.
The team has never stopped uplifting each other, despite how grim things have gotten. They will need to continue to push through if they want the playoffs to be a possibility. So far, the Lasers have played a total of 17 games and have a winning record of 10-7, so it looks like the playoffs are still in the cards.
Senior forward/midfielder and exercise science major, Alyson Barnes, talks about the team dynamic with all of the injuries this season. “I don’t think the team dynamic has changed too drastically. If anything, it’s all brought us closer together and more supportive of one another” Barnes said.
Barnes has had her own experience with an injury during collegiate play, so she understands the toll it can have. Barnes and other players on the team understand what playing a sport like this brings, as managing an injury while also being a full-time student can be mentally draining.
“Injuries are part of the game. They’re something you prepare for. They’re mentally a struggle, obviously physically a struggle as well,” Barnes said. “This season has been a sympathetic and empathetic season for me because I know what they are going through.”
Junior forward Halleen Seguin, Barnes’ roommate, suffered a high ankle sprain in a game against Colby-Sawyer on Oct. 16, leaving her out of play indefinitely. Seguin has played in 12 of the Lasers’ 16 games and has started seven times. The loss of Seguin has caused additional issues to arise in the Lasers’ offense.
Without her in the forward position, the Lasers have had to adjust their offensive plays to push the ball up the field. Although Seguin’s injury has caused the Lasers to adjust their positioning on the field, the team has won the last two games in a shutout and has done a great job adjusting to not only Seguin’s injury but others on the team as well.
Lasell field hockey’s coaches have continuously reminded the team that health is the number one priority. It’s no secret that those who are injured now are itching to get back on the field, but ensuring that everyone is fully healed is most important. The team has an enormous amount of talent and grit, and this has so far shined through this season.
Aside from talent, first-year forward Mara Boldy believes the bonding within the team has positively affected how they play.
“We’ve been connecting more on the field and recognizing how each other plays,” Boldy said. “[The team] is growing from the things we have overcome all season. It’s the perfect time to step up to the challenge, and we are finally doing that.”
Mara Boldy in action at Grellier field against Saint Joseph’s (Maine).
Photo credit: Cam McNeil
Knowing that those who are still on the field playing are getting the job done has been an aid for those who are not on the field. It would be harder to deal with injury if your team wasn’t playing well, but Lasell does not fall under that category. Junior goalkeeper McKenna Ecker describes how the team is pushing through injuries this season.
“Knowing that the people on the field are giving it their all not only helps the success of our team but also eases our injured teammates’ minds,” said Ecker.
A big piece of the puzzle for Lasell field hockey this season is giving your all. Regardless of the situation the team finds itself in, fighting to the very end is something that each player knows is their duty.
A player’s ability to instill this in themself is something that the entire roster will need to have for this season to end on a positive note for the Lasers.
Last year, the team fell short of the ultimate goal, falling to Colby-Sawyer College in the first round of the GNAC playoffs. It was a disappointing end to a historic season where the Lasers finished with a 15-2 record.
While a season of that success is a rare achievement, the future is what matters most. Dwelling on the past is a dangerous habit to fall into, especially when you take into account how healthy the Lasers were last year. Nevertheless, the team must move on as it approaches another playoff appearance riding a three-game win streak.
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