10/26/2017 4:42:00 PM | Field Hockey, Student Athlete, Features
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By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Communications
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Not four more.
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Those three words resonated within the Lehigh field hockey team on Oct. 6 vs. Lafayette.
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"Not four more" originated from a pregame speech by second-year head coach Caitlin Dallmeyer. Heading into that Friday night showdown, upwards of 50 Lehigh field hockey student-athletes had come through the program, but graduated without a win over the archrival Leopards.
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"Honestly, I didn't realize how meaningful those three words were at the time, but I guess it will go down as one of my best-ever pregame speeches," said Dallmeyer.
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Those words alone would not only help serve as motivation for the eventual 1-0 overtime victory over Lafayette, but it would also make the win even more special.
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That victory represented the entire Lehigh field hockey team of 21 playing for their seniors. It was a reward for the seniors always acting selflessly and for the long-term betterment of the program.
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Ironically, it was two seniors who helped set up the winning goal with no time remaining in overtime.
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"Even though we were put in an extremely high-pressure situation, as I was inserting the ball for the corner, I had complete confidence in our team's ability to score and win the game right there," said Jackie Renda.
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After Renda inserted, Julia Washburn made the stick stop and junior Teresa Carotenuto blasted home the game-winning goal.
Jackie Renda
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"When I heard the sound of the ball hitting the backboard, I felt an overwhelming amount of pride and accomplishment for my team, coaches and class as a whole," said Renda. "We truly left it all on the field and being part of such an important victory was a great reminder that all our hard work and commitment to the program paid off. In the previous 12 years, no Lehigh field hockey teams were able to say they beat Lafayette."
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Building a program from the ground up takes a lot of patience and persistence. There is a great focus on the little victories because little victories will gradually add up to big victories.
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Lehigh field hockey is beginning to see bigger victories, like the Lafayette win, due in large part to the leadership of a strong senior class of Renda, Washburn, Laura Yuh and Alexis Arancio. Without strong leadership at the top, it would be easy to stray from the course, but from Dallmeyer's first day as Lehigh head coach, this group was determined to get the program on the right track.
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"Right away, this class recognized some of the things that were not productive or efficient, some of the things that weren't helping us be the united team that we wanted to be," said Dallmeyer. "They identified those things, they came to the coaching staff, we talked about how it was going to change and they implemented change. This group was self-confident in what they wanted and they created change, which is really difficult to do as a student-athlete."
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The four seniors are very different people, who have impacted the program in different ways, but each one of their impacts stems from being selfless and focused on the long-term vision of the program.
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"These seniors embody what Lehigh Athletics preaches in terms of our five pillars (self-awareness, integrity, competitiveness, team-first mentality and toughness)," said Dallmeyer. "In looking at team-first, we had Lexi jump into a very uncomfortable role as a goalkeeper this season (from her role as student manager). One, because she knew she was able-bodied and had a good understanding from working with the goalkeepers as an assistant student manager, but two, to make sure no one else had to be taken out of a functioning field player role.
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"If that doesn't really set the example of team-first mentality, I'm not sure what will."
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When she entered Lehigh, Arancio was a field player who was forced into a role as student manager before the opportunity at goalkeeper arose.
Alexis Arancio
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"I was first honored that my team and coaches believed in me enough that they would ask me to take on a completely new position and role," she said. "There wasn't really a time when I considered saying no. I saw how in need of another goalkeeper my team was and I couldn't leave them in that position."
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Meanwhile, following a strong junior season, Yuh couldn't help her team on the field this season due to injury, but found other ways to make a difference.
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"My senior season definitely didn't pan out the way I expected," said Yuh. "Making the decision to switch my role to student assistant was without a doubt one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make in my career. However, making the transition into my new role, despite the emotional challenge of accepting the change, was for the most part pretty easy because I was able to focus all my energy into helping my teammates and coaches in the most effective ways possible. My decision, though tough, was the choice I had to make in order to be most useful to the team and I think that helped me move past my disappointment of not being able to physically play."
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Among Yuh's teammates she's helped have been classmates Renda and Washburn, who have been mainstays in the starting lineup for most of their careers.
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"Jackie and Julia really embody competitiveness, as well as the accountability and integrity aspects of our five pillars," said Dallmeyer. "They really hold themselves to such a high standard, on and off the field, and work to hold their teammates to that same standard, which creates a strong culture. With the integrity piece, they're always working to do the right things while making sure they're holding others accountable for doing the right things."
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For all these four seniors have done, their full impact may not truly be felt for years to come.
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"We have so many first-year players who come in and mention the seniors' leadership skills, which tells me they're watching, they're paying attention and they want to emulate these seniors as they themselves develop into leaders," said Dallmeyer. "These seniors have worked from the beginning to do the right things, making sure they're giving everything they possible can to this program."
Laura Yuh
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The four seniors complement each other, serving as strong role models for the younger players as they pass the torch to future leaders of the program.
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"Jackie is intense. Julia has worked to have a bigger voice on the field, but is one of those people who just puts her head down and works. Lexi and Laura are outgoing, approachable and bubbly - great support systems for their teammates," said Dallmeyer. "They all balance each other nicely, which I think is why they've been able to form a great friendship within their class."
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The senior class won't reap the full fruits of their labor, but they have helped the Mountain Hawks make important steps forward. Those steps don't always show up in wins and losses, but on the night of Friday, October 6 against Lafayette, it certainly did.
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"There's never been a question in our class of how important it is to contribute to those final rewards," said Washburn. "Whenever things get tough, we're quick to remind each other of the bigger picture so there's never any opportunity to give up on Lehigh field hockey's future."
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"I think I speak for everyone in my class when I say how honored we are to be a part of Lehigh field hockey," said Arancio. "We've had a part in building the culture and team we have always dreamt of, and it's really exciting to watch that begin to grow. Although we won't be able to directly witness all the results of our efforts, we're all so grateful for having the opportunity to play a role as catalysts of change."
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One of the most dramatic examples of change happened against Lafayette, a victory that was 12 years coming. Everything that happened that night, from the tangible (on-field plays) to the intangible (reminding each other "not four more") was a byproduct of a lot of blood, sweat and tears.
Julia Washburn
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The program's culture and camaraderie, helped built by the seniors, was on full display.
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"It's amazing to have underclassmen who care so much about us," said Washburn. "Developing relationships that aren't bound by class was a big goal for this team and I think the Lafayette game was a testament to our unity."
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It was more than a win. It was a reward for the seniors always acting selflessly and for the long-term betterment of the program.
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"The tears of happiness, the excitement and the emotion that streamed through their faces and their bodies that night was so genuine and so real," said Dallmeyer. "It showed the coaching staff what a huge moment it was for their four years."
