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Welcome to Inside Lehigh Athletics, your chance to take a glimpse into the on and off the field lives of Lehigh student-athletes. Kelsey Smith is a senior on the Mountain Hawks field hockey team. Smith, a computer science and business/accounting major, hails from Medford, New Jersey and is a multi-year member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. Check back soon for her latest update.
October 21 – Senior Day
I could not have asked for a better game to end my career playing on the Lehigh turf. Ok… maybe a win would have made it a little nicer, but the feeling of knowing I’ll never run out wearing brown and white to play on my home field again is indescribable. The emotions were crazy enough and then you add in the fact that we were playing a huge Patriot League game against ranked American.
The game goes like this – they score four goals before we found the back of the net. Kara scored off a corner shot by Christy and we went into halftime down 4-1. The second half started and they scored again. We went down by four goals again and that’s a pretty big hole to dig your self into. But we scored, and we scored, and we scored again. Time is winding down and the score is stuck at 5-4. With nine seconds left we got a corner and earned one last shot. And that was all we needed to tie it up at five and go into overtime.
The stands went crazy, my legs were shaking, and that was a moment I’ll NEVER forget. We battled hard in the first overtime. Drew corners and even hit the post once. Eventually, we lost 6-5 in the second overtime and my body just crashed. Tying that game up was the highlight of my field hockey career and that memory will be forever played over and over again.
As I reflect back on all the games I’ve played here, of course there are ups and downs. I’ve had Moira with me through all four years and better yet, we’ve played on the right together the whole time too. She was my first friend at Lehigh and I’ve shared some of the best memories with her. Steph… I’ll admit I might have forced her to join the team after she worked summer camp before last season. She came to just help out and left as part of our team and I can’t imagine what these last two years would have been like without her. No one can give a better motivational speech then her. And Mel… she graced us with one more year; her fifth year. Watching her play is so inspiring and her hard work and dedication is unreal.
And of course the amazing underclassman who decorated the field for us today. (And they also sooooo nicely decorated my house last night with toilet paper.) Being a part of a team, and more importantly this team with them is incredible and I would do it all over if I had the chance.
With two games left in the regular season we are focused on beating Colgate and going to the playoffs because I don’t want it to end. I’m not ready to hang the field hockey stick up for good, not yet.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
October 11 – Penalty Strokes
After 70 minutes of regulation, two 15 minute overtime periods, and penalty strokes we lost a hard fought battle tonight to a good team. My body hurts, I’m mentally tired, and if someone says homework I’m going to scream.
We came out strong and I scored three minutes into the game off of a feed from Moira. The score stayed that way for most of the first half. With four seconds left we drew a corner and Christy sent a nice shot into a player’s foot on the goal line to cause a stroke. From there Moira converted on the first of many penalty strokes for the night.
Coming out strong in the first half was key and it would have been nice to do the same in the second. They scored two goals right away after halftime and added a third later in the half. Jenn then came up huge and scored a goal with four minutes left to put us into overtime 3-3.
Thirty minutes of overtime later and that score remained. But enough about the score. Steph was playing amazing! Making huge saves on huge break-aways throughout overtime to keep us alive. They had a few corners in overtime and we could only keep three field players back. The corner defense kept the goals out by playing smart and strong.
And from there penalty strokes are just pure nerve racking. We shot first and Volpe converted. They scored and we missed our next two. Terry kept us alive by scoring the fourth but they went on to make their fourth and the game was over with them winning the stoke-off 2-4.
Losing is always hard, but for some reason we could still smile after this one. We have now seen anything and everything that might come our way as we approach the last crucial games. We battled hard tonight and this game only made us stronger.
Next up: Patriot League opponent Holy Cross and we are ready.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
October 8 – Lafayette Loss, Rider Win
We battled a tough loss to Lafayette this weekend 1-0. They came out strong and scored in the first half, while we struggled to finish on offense the whole game. We out shot them and were better on paper, but like our coach keeps telling us you have to play with the stuff that is not recorded. You have to play with the heart, passion, and desire to win. We are a better team than what we showed them, but in a Patriot League game, better yet a Lehigh/Lafayette game, anything can happen. Losing hurts and it hurts that much more to lose to your arch rival at home.
Christy and Mel led the way with shots and both would put in goals the following day to lead to their honorable mention player of the week. We dropped to 1 and 1 in the league, but still have Holly Cross next weekend, American the following, and Colgate to finish out the season.
On Sunday we bounced back strong. We came out playing with all those things you can not count: determination, desire, and heart. Mel scored early to start the day and I added the second goal off of a messed up penalty corner. We went into halftime with a two goal lead finally feeling good about the way we came out in the first half.
The second half got ugly when Rider’s frustration became evident in their foul play. They scored first in the second half before Christy would put away the game winner and bring the final score to 3-2. We suffered a yellow card late in the game and played the last three minutes a man down. Like I said before, the game was getting a little crazy. We held our ground however and did not let them mess up our game.
With six games left in the regular season every one of them is important. We need to continue to play how we are and only take steps forward. If we possess the ball and play as a team like we did on Sunday things will be real pretty.
Next up is Lock Haven on Wednesday night followed by a crucial league game against Holly Cross on Saturday. We have not beaten Holly Cross since I’ve been at Lehigh, so that would be a nice win.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
September 30 –Patriot League Opener
We beat Bucknell!
Today we played our first league game at Bucknell and beat them 3-1. Christy Smith put us on the board first. They tied it up and we went into half time 1-1. In the second half, Morgan scored what would be the game winner and Kara finished them off for the third goal. We played stronger and we played more confident.
I don’t know what it is about league play, but the feelings you get when you play games like today is totally different. You don’t have to psyche yourself up, it’s done naturally. The games are more physical and obviously more exciting. Everyone puts everything out and that was clear today.
The last time we played at their place my sophomore year our bus broke down and we had to walk from the locker room to their field. Along the path they had “nicely” decorated a wall with beat Lehigh signs. It floored us and we went on to beat them that year pretty bad. We asked to walk to the field again this year, but apparently they learned and unfortunately it was not decorated.
So now we are 1-0 for the league for the second consecutive season. American beat Colgate, but only by a goal and Holy Cross beat Lafayette. It feels good to have out played a team that ranked us low in the preseason and clearly underestimated us. And honestly the rankings do not mean anything if we play like we did today. They just give us something to get mad about and pump us up more. We are in the best position because we have nothing to lose. The pressure is on everyone else to stand up to the expectations.
Next up is Rider on Wednesday night. From there we play rival Lafayette on Saturday. We have some strong momentum on our side right now, and its only going to get better.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
September 24 – Patriot League schedule nears
We had a rough weekend, losing Friday to LaSalle in overtime and today to Villanova. Both games were played in the Philly area on the road. Friday’s game came down to not capitalizing on our scoring opportunities and the loss today was exceptionally disheartening due to the margin of defeat.
After going down 7-0 at halftime to a nationally ranked team we had a choice to fold like most probably thought we would. We kept up the intensity, took what the coaches had to say during the break, and kept fighting. It’s still hard not to hang your head walking off the field looking at a scoreboard like that.
This whole weekend has been frustrating. I’ve been concentrating on scoring and thinking way too much about the game. Our entire team needs to just play because we love it, because we believe, and because we know we are better then what we have been showing.
This weekend has also shown that the Patriot League is by no means determined. It was surprising to see that Holy Cross was the only team that picked up a win over the weekend, even perennial powerhouse, American, lost down at Richmond.
League play has not started for us. Bucknell is coming up real soon and luckily we have one more game to get ready. West Chester will visit on Thursday night and we HAVE to win. Losing stinks, so we need to get back on the right track by beating out coach’s alma mater and taking that momentum straight into next weekend.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
September 13 – Home Opener
From the second we stepped out onto the field tonight we had everything on our side. Our home field, our music to warm up to, our fans to cheer us on. It’s a totally different feeling playing on your own turf, better yet winning on your own turf. Tonight we put together our second win and put our record back up to 500.
With Christy sidelined with a pulled hamstring, her sister stepped up huge and carried the ball pretty much the length of the field dodging everyone and finishing with the first goal of the game. I probably should have gotten ahead of her, but it was more fun to watch.
Kara added to her three-game scoring streak putting her third of the season in off a nice pass from Marny. Kelly Fox finished the night off with her first collegiate goal. Marny hustled to the end line passing the ball back up top for Fox to slip past the goalie’s left side.
The defense played solid, not allowing any corners in the second half and saving three shots on the night.
This weekend we are looking for a winning record and two more wins on our home turf. Columbia will visit on Saturday and Brown will visit on Sunday. Both should be good games and we’ll use the next two days to prepare.
This week has been tough to balance school and field hockey. Because we have three games this week, I have had to plan my schedule accordingly and get my work done ahead of the due dates. Its nice to come home after a win like tonight and know you already have all your work done for tomorrow. The life of a student-athlete is not always glamorous, but winning makes the sacrifices worth it.
We are looking for two more wins this weekend and two more victory laps around OUR field.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
September 9 – First Win
After a hot battle on the rooftop at Georgetown, we finally put together our first win on Saturday afternoon. It was an all around team effort with five different people scoring, the defense possessing and controlling the back field, and everyone capitalizing on attack. Each game our offense has improved with more shots and more corners, and today we put it all together and finished.
The team bonded over some yummy food at the famous Tomb’s restaurant in Georgetown before heading home. It is fun to spend time together like that, especially after a strong win like today.
This up coming week is going to be challenging and exciting. We have our fist home game Wednesday night against UNBC followed by two competitive games this weekend. Saturday we will play Columbia and Sunday we will face Brown.
After today’s game expectations are a little higher and we are always looking to improve and grow. Playing smart will be key over the next tough week.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
August 26 – The Season Opener
After a frustrating loss, we are left with mixed feelings. Our team opened today against Temple and lost a hard fought 2-1 decision in overtime. We put together a solid first half and took advantage of a scoring opportunity. We played as a team, but we let them back into it with only a few minutes left. They scored the tying goal with only two minutes left off a corner.
Regulation ended in a tie 1-1, so we went into overtime. We scored a beautiful goal only to have it called back. It was the best feeling and the worst feeling all in one minute. The referee made the call that the ball first rolled up one of our players bodies and Temple did not have a fair play. FRUSTRATING. We scored, ran onto the field, celebrated, and then the refs took it all back. The game resumed with Temple getting a free hit out of the circle and they went onto to score a few minutes later. The game would end there with a 2-1 victory for Temple and a frustrated angry Lehigh team.
Steph, our goal keeper played an awesome game and made some huge saves. And of course Christy Smith dominated for us in the mid-field and scored the goal. As a team we played as a unit and we battled. However we learned that one goal is not going to be enough. It should not have gone into overtime to begin with, and we need to capitalize more in the offensive end to give ourselves more room.
So now we are 0-1 and looking on to play Cornell next Friday night at their place. Along with our first game being over, so is preseason. Classes start Monday and we will now have to balance the tasks of being students as well. Pre-season made us stronger, made our team closer, and prepared us for the season journey ahead. How we played today was a great start, and I’m really looking forward to this season.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
August 9 - Reporting for Preseason Camp
It’s the day before the team returns for pre-season camp, and I along with everyone else am anxious. The first day, Thursday, will be organization and team meetings. Then Friday we will start our testing and practicing. The normal schedule for the remaining of preseason will consist of a morning session, an afternoon session, and a fun evening of scrimmaging which we all look forward to. From time to time we will complete an early morning run at 6 AM.
After a somewhat hectic summer in the city with lots of traveling I am looking forward to getting back out on the field. Living in New York like I did this past summer does not exactly provide the best work out places. However, I did enjoy playing pick-up hockey on the rooftop of a building with all European and Australian men. Needless to say they were a little better then me, but it was a fun experience to run around with them.
Before heading to the city I started my summer out with a trip to Honduras. For two semesters rolling over junior and senior year as a CSB major you complete an independent study. My project is for a MicroFinance banking organization in Honduras where we are developing a software program to be put on Palm Pilot type devices. These devices are hopefully then going to be used through out MicroFinance in Honduras to make their process of giving small loans to people living in poverty more efficient. I will continue to work on this project for one more semester and use the further research and knowledge we gained from our trip to finalize it.
When I was in the Philly area I made a trip to Temple to play with a lot of the girls out there one night. We formed our own team and got a preview glimpse of what’s to come.
For the past 22 days leading up to preseason, the girls on the team and I have rotated whose turn it is to psyche up the team. Each day we could look forward to a funny email story, motivational quotes, or a team picture that Stacy so cleverly created for her day. These emails have kept the team in touch, motivated us, and made it clear that everyone wants the same thing out of this season.
The time has come for one more round and one more preseason to begin. All of our off season work outs are finally going to show.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
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