Since the start of their inaugural Big East season in 2006, the Georgetown field hockey team has gone 3-39 in the conference for a winning percentage of .077. For a newcomer, however, there isn’t exactly much shame in this abysmal record as Connecticut, Louisville, Syracuse and Villanova are traditionally top ten powers. Outside of the conference, the Hoyas have fared better, but their 17-70 record with a win percentage of .242 is still nothing to write home about.
While all this losing cannot be any fun for sixth year head coach Tiffany Hubbard, she has found some positive goals for the 2013 squad to aim for.
“We play a tough schedule against some teams ranked in the top 10, even top 5, in the country. These programs are established; they have their traditions,” Hubbard said. “Our team has the opportunity to be the first building blocks of a program and to accomplish firsts. It was just a few years ago that we won our first Big East game.”
The Blue and Gray have started the season with home losses to Davidson, 0-6, and Rider, 1-4. The Rider game was 40-4 at halftime before Georgetown was able to prove themselves in a game for the first time all season and outnumber the opponent in the second half.
Two-thirds of the roster is underclassman, so the casual observer would be rational in thinking the team’s confidence is shaking under the weight of the likelihood of another disappointing losing season. Hubbard sees things differently.
“If anything, the second half of our Rider game gave us a lot of confidence,” Hubbard said. “We have a young team — for them to build up confidence is crucial. A lot of these freshmen are still creating their own identity.”
The Hoyas have two weeks to get things straight before their Big East opener against Providence onSpetember 20. Friday night, they play host to Towson, who lost to Davidson 21-2 this past Sunday. Like all of their home games, this contest will be held in College Park, on the campus of the University of Maryland.
“I think we’re used to College park, so the travel doesn’t really affect us. It isn’t that far,” Hubbard said. “Not many people have been over there to see what an amazing facility it is, one of the top two or three in the country. We’re lucky to play on it.”
After the Towson clash, Georgetown will travel to Pennsylvania for a date with Lock Haven. If theHoyas are going to come out on top in either of these two games, they are undoubtedly going to need to start scoring some goals. One in two games isn’t going to cut it. The issue is that Annie Wilson, who led the team in points last season and started every game of her career, has graduated. In fact, the team’s top four scorers from a year ago received their diplomas last spring.
“We have a lot of underclassmen that are stepping up to fill Annie’s shoes. She was distinct, fast and feisty. Fortunately, we have that in all our younger players,” Hubbard said. “They really possess Annie’s grit and speed. We were lucky to have [had] her here, but the people we have now can surpass her.”
Hubbard called on freshman goalkeeper Rosalie Nolen between the pipes in the first two games of the season, and she performed admirably, especially against Rider, when she had 13 saves.Sophomoremidfielder Emily Weinberg and sophomore forward Sarah Butterfield, who has the Hoyaslone goal so far this season, will have to step up and lead the offense if this team is to be successful. They are the top returning scorers from last year’s team.
“We’re taking this week by week, game by game. We have nothing to lose,” Hubbard said. “This is the most talented group that’s been here since I’ve been here. Every week we ask, “Have we improved? Where do we need to improve?”
Georgetown field hockey could improve immensely this weekend with a pair of wins. It is critical that they avoid another pair of losses; even the brightness of Hubbard’s confidence may not be able to fight off ominous approach of another losing season.
