LINWOOD — “Clearly we’re very consistent,” coach Erin McConnell said, noting the 2-2-2 record just before Friday afternoon’s game that ended in a 1-1 tie with Cedar Creek.
The team is 1-2-3 in the Cape-Atlantic League National Division.
“We do have a really great group of seniors and a lot of young talent too in our junior, sophomore and even our freshman class,” McConnell said of the 2024 Mainland Regional High School field hockey team.
“This team does a really, really great job of working together and playing together, and I think that shows in the way that we play games. We’re very team-oriented,” she said.
Senior Katherine Crozier-Carole is leading the team with five goals but was out sick for Friday’s game.
O’Connell said she is counting on Crozier-Carole and other players for the attack, including Elaina Dinofa, who scored with 39 seconds left in the first half to tie the game at 1-1 against Cedar Creek. (The second half was scoreless.) Another forward is junior Talia DiDomenico.
Dinofa, DiDomenico and freshman Callie Bean have two goals each so far this season. Senior Madison Siglin, juniors Lily Studer and Helen Malia, and sophomore Alexis DeFeo have one goal apiece.
Those three, the coach said, “are working nicely to generate our offense.”
In the midfield is senior Molly McCully.
“She is kind of the backbone there of the lineup and does a really nice job of coming up with defensive stops and generating movement forward for us,” McConnell said.
Defensively she has senior Frankie Jacovini at center back.
“She has a really nice, strong stick and a lot of great step-ups, even in the midfield. She shuts down some other teams’ forwards,” McConnell said.
The team’s goalie, senior Emma Tomlin, just had her 200th career save this week. “She’s a beast. She’s a beast in goal,” the coach said.
Tomlin has 56 saves so far this season.
Goals for the team include working together and having a whole-team mentality, McConnell added.
“Having that team mentality will help us be successful this season and seasons moving forward,” she said.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff