By Sarah Frohnapfel
Photo Courtesy of Athletic Communications
The third time was the charm for Lafayette Field Hockey as the Leopards finally brought home the Patriot League Championship trophy with a 3-1 victory over Bucknell last Saturday in Washington,D.C.
The last two seasons, the Leopards watched from the sidelines with tear-filled eyes as the American Eagles celebrated. This year, it was their turn.
“The celebration was unlike anything I’ve ever felt,” forward DeannaDiCroce ‘13 said. “I have been on other teams where we have won championship games, but this had so much more meaning.”
DiCroce, 2011 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, scored two goals in the championship game. Forward Kristin Heaney ‘14 scored the game-winning goal in the 40th minute.
Forward Carolyn Cabrey ‘12 assisted Heaney’s game-winner and was named Patriot League Tournament MVP.
Goalkeeper Jessica Deutsch ‘15 had five saves in the low-scoring affair.
With the win, Lafayette Field Hockey tallied its 8th Patriot League Championship and its first since 2002.
“All our hard work, sacrifice and time that we put in finally paid off and that feeling was amazing,” DiCroce said. “To accomplish a goal that was set three years ago is so rewarding and makes everything worth it.”
The team developed a chemistry that was stronger than previous years.
“The biggest thing for us this year is just that we were extremely cohesive,” midfielder Jaci White ‘13 said, “we all really like one another, and there wasn’t any drama to distract us from our goals.”
“The core of this team has been playing together for about two years now, and this year we all knew what we had to do as a team to win the championship,” DiCroce added. “Everyone was on the same page, on and off the field, and we played for each other.”
The Leopards defeated the Lehigh Mountain Hawks 8-0 in the semifinals, a day before the championship, to earn a spot in the championship game.
Forward Aimee Smith ‘14 had two goals, including the game-winner. DiCroce had a goal and three assists. Midfielder Maria Machalick ‘13 scored two goals while Haley Keenan ‘14, Hanna Sotiropolous ‘14 and Emily Valeo ‘13 had one. Deutsch and Mara Kish ‘13 combined for the shutout.
Earlier that day, the Bison upset the Eagles, the winners of the previous eight Patriot League Championships.
“We were excited to be facing Bucknell,” Sotiropolous said. “They are a great team, but we knew their strengths well, and more importantly, we knew their weaknesses.
Cabrey and defender Colleen McGowan ‘12, the team’s only seniors, capped off their Patriot League careers on a high note. But the rest of the women are already looking ahead to next season.
“This championship only sets the bar higher for next year,” DiCroce said. “We have a lot to work on in the off season and can only get better from here. Now that we know how it feels to win, we aren’t going to settle for anything less.”