LINWOOD – Coach Erin O’Connell’s field hockey team at Mainland Regional High School is young and upcoming.
The team lost 5-0 to Lower Cape May Regional’s Caper Tigers in their season opener, but the coach said she saw a lot of good things as the team continues to work out their field connections.
“I think the more they play together the more it will kind of start to click with them together as a full unit,” O’Connell said after the opener.
The team graduated nine starters, but has a few returning varsity players from the 2024 campaign. They include forward Talia DiDomenico, defender Elia Mansueto and midfielder Joey Hemphill, all seniors. O’Connell expects them to be the team leaders.
She said she has some sophomores and freshmen on the forward line this season, including sophomores Callie Bean and Annaliese Farren, and senior Helen Malia.
Midfielders for the Mustangs include juniors Alexis DeFeo and Addie Scanlon and sophomore Julianna Patillo. Defenders, in addition to Mansueto, include seniors Lilia Brough and Kate Armstrong and sophomore Molly Bytheway.
“This season, I think, our goal is definitely to get better each game,” O’Connell said, “to make the adjustments we need to after each game and use those to our advantage to just keep getting better and keep clicking together out on the field.”
The Mustangs hosted Cedar Creek on Tuesday, and are away at Holy Spirit and Millville on Sept. 11 and Sept. 15. They’re back at home against Egg Harbor Township on Wednesday, Sept. 17. All three games are at 4 p.m.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
