On paper, the University of Mount Olive women’s field hockey team expected to see improvement after posting a six-win campaign in 2021.
No one anticipated these results, though.
The nationally-ranked Trojans (13-3 overall) captured the Piedmont Division crown in South Atlantic Conference play, and have set numerous individual and team records during their historic run.
UMO continues play Friday against Newberry College in the SAC tournament semifinals.
“We had certain [good] expectations after last year, but I was not sure what was going to happen,” said fourth-year UMO head coach Daniel Polders. “Based on the returning players combined with the new players, I was pretty sure that we would be stronger on paper, however, still young.
“It took a few weeks to find out where we were as a team and who we are as a team. But, after a few games, we figured it out and the players took it from there.”
Indeed.
The Trojans started 0-3, including losses to No. 2-ranked West Chester University and defending NCAA Division II national champion Shippensburg. The two perennial Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) powers have combined to win eight of the last 10 NCAA Division II national championships.
Polders said the experience proved valuable.
Newcomers got the opportunity to compete against high-level competition and helped create depth on the roster, which became a crucial element in the Trojans’ success.
“We learn, grow and practice towards these goals with the lessons we have learned from those games,” Polders said. “Growth was not only related to skills or concepts, but also to physical and mental aspects. It helped us as a whole.”
UMO reeled off 13 consecutive wins after the loss at Shippensburg.
A total of 17 players combined to set program records for team goals (56) and team assists (42) in a single season. Nikki Bos leads the way with 13 goals and seven assists, while Avery Congleton and Morgan Paterson have collected eight goals apiece.
Defensively, the Trojans have been just as good.
Since a 2-1 road conquest of No. 6-ranked Converse College on Oct. 22, UMO has kept opponents off the board for 296 consecutive minutes. Goalies Alanna Barrett and Amanda Parr have combined for 42 saves and six clean sheets (shutouts) in the box.
“The new players have all left their mark and contributed from the beginning,” Polders said. “The returners have done a remarkable job in welcoming the new players and helping them to be comfortable … something everyone in the program embraces and works on every day.
“It should be fun and we should all enjoy this journey.”
But it’s not over.
The Trojans, who dropped from No. 7 to No. 9 in the latest national poll, seek the conference tournament title. If UMO wins, its postseason hopes rest in the selection committee’s hands. There is no automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA tournament.
How sweet that would be for a fourth-year program.
“Completely out of our control, but we do like some icing on the cake, though,” Polders said.
