Last year’s edition of the Lady Hornet field hockey team enjoyed one of the best seasons in school history.
With Coach Becca Maciejewski calling the shots, the Red & Black made a deep run in the D-2 play-offs.
Honesdale advanced all the way to the Class AAA semifinals before losing a heartbreaker in overtime to Wyoming Valley West.
Now, on the brink of a brand new season, Coach Maciejewski is hoping the Lady Hornets pick up right where the left off in ‘09.
“I’m nervous and excited at the same time,” Becca told TWI Sports. “Some of our teams in the past have been a little sluggish at the beginning of the season. I really wanted to avoid that this year...”
Well, no worries there.
The Red & Black jumped all over Montrose Tuesday in an exhibition match at the HHS Complex.
Honesdale scored a pair of early goals, then began liberal substitutions. After intermission, however, the Lady Hornets turned up the juice.
“I let the first string have the whole second half,” said Coach Maciejewski. “They went out there and played hard. It was nice to see.”
Utter Domination
When the final whistle blew, Honesdale had hammered out an 8-0 win.
Jana Fritz led the charge with a dazzling offensive performance. The senior tri-captain rattled the cage for a total of four goals.
“Jana is a very intense player,” Coach Maciejewski said. “She works really hard and is incredibly focused on the field.”
Desiraye Mack tallied two goals, while Paige Stanton and Libby Rickard chipped in with one apiece.Meghan Grady added a pair of assists.
Defensively, Honesdale received solid outings from both of its keepers. Jackie Eldred earned the start and pitched a shutout in the first half. Natalie O’Reilly went the distance in the second half and also hung up a zero.
Next up for Honesdale is its Wyoming Valley Conference regular season opener with Wyoming Seminary. The reigning state champions will be in town Friday afternoon. That match is slated for a 4:15 start.
“I’m anxious to see how the girls respond,” Coach Maciejewski said. “It’s going to be a pretty big test for us this early in the season.”
