In a season featuring attendance records, individual awards, national rankings and a 7-4 record to date, Longwood field hockey’s ability on the defensive end has been the biggest key to success, according to their Head Coach Iain Byers.
“I think for the first half of the season (it) was our defensive intensity, and our ability to just grind out some good victories," Byers said. "I think we’re still waiting to put together that complete game performance, but if you’re always striving for something toward the second half of the season that’s something we’re going to work for."
The Longwood defense has been anchored by redshirt junior goalkeeper Katie Wyman, who holds a 1.84 goal against average and has two shutouts on the season.
Wyman has also been recognized three separate times as the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Week this season.
“(Wyman) will make the simple saves, and she will also pull one or two great ones out as well,” said Byers.
Defense has been crucial for the Lancers this season, but in order to achieve victories the ball has to go into the back of the net. This season, Longwood’s majority of goals have come from junior forward Olivia Wawrzyniak and senior forward Leonie Verstraete.
Wawrzyniak, who leads the team in goals, is currently enjoying her best season as a Lancer. She has 30 points through 10 games while she only had four points in 17 games played last season. Wawrzyniak also leads the team in game winning goals with three.
“Everyone on the team, we support each other. Our mids (midfielders) are great this year, our backs are doing good," said Wawrzyniak. "Overall, I think it’s just helping each other that leads to high shots and goals."
The support for each other led to the Lancers picking up their first ever win against a ranked opponent when they took down cross-town rival Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA on Sept. 11.
Moments like those are ones that are season-changing. With those moments and other big victories, the team earned its first top-25 ranking in the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index on Sept. 20.
With success during the season now becoming the norm for the field hockey program, expectations are rising. Not becoming complacent has become a teaching lesson for the team’s coaching staff.
“We don’t want to be peaking now, and then go on a slump as we hit tournament time,” said Byers. “Often, the team knows and holds themselves to a high standard which certainly helps us out. In reality it’s just taking care of the little things and just reminding people what the little things are.”
Going forward, the goal for the Lancers is to round out this season as either 1st or 2nd seed in the Mid Atlantic Conference, according to Byers.
“This senior class could be the first senior class to graduate with a winning career, which (is) because we play such a strong conference and such a strong out of conference record with ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) teams all around us. That’s something they should be very proud of going into tournament time,” said Byers.
The Lancers will try to up their standing in their next game at home against Ohio University, after dropping two of their last three games against Kent State and Miami (OH).
As the season comes closer to the conference tournament, Longwood field hockey is focused on reaching new heights and stepping up their game when needed most.
The field hockey team entered the NCAA RPI Top 25 rankings for the first time in program history earlier this season.
