The Girls Varsity Field Hockey season is coming to a close, and with less than three games to play, the team has everything they need to win, Jojo Mignone (11) said.

Both games this week ended in a loss for the team. On Monday, the team lost 3-1 to Fieldston; on Wednesday, they lost 4-1 to King School. It was hard to remain motivated and play hard during Monday’s game, but the team pushed through, team member Alessandra Agopian (10) said. On Wednesday, the team was energetic and celebrated Maddie Yoon’s (12) birthday after the game, she said.

The team is currently 2-7 and their next game is October 22 at Riverdale’s homecoming. Winning the game has been the team’s main priority, team member Dylan Leftt (10) said.

To prepare for the game, Girls Varsity Field Hockey Coach Caroline Surhoff has put a greater emphasis on footwork and skills work, Leftt said.

Conditioning and improving their teamwork have been another primary focus in practice recently, Mignone said. 

As the season comes to an end, the team has improved their communication and gotten better at working as a cohesive unit, Mignone said. They work together well and are very strong, but still have a hard time putting all their strengths together, she said.

Team member Naomi Gelfer (11) is very proud of the effort and hard work the team has brought to practice, which she thinks has been a strength this season.

The team lost on the school’s Homecoming, which was disappointing, but they are still supportive of each other, Mignone said. “Even though we lost, we were all really proud of each other because we know that we tried our best.”

Perfecting corner plays and penalty plays will be crucial to win the final games of the season, Gelfer said. “Being able to restart the ball on penalties without allowing the other team to set up prevents them from knowing our next move,” she said

Gelfer and Mignone both play defense. Gelfer wants to work on remaining aggressive during the game, even when she gets hit or beat because being aggressive on defense is crucial, she said.

Mignone wants to work on passing directly to teammates, instead of open space where they fight for the ball, she said.

A strong point for the team this season has been their freshman teammates, Leftt said. Most of the goals scored this season have been scored by freshmen and Leftt looks forward to playing with them next year, she said.

The final games of the season are part of the Brearley-Chapin tournament –– if the team wins on October 25, they will play again on October 26. Regardless of the results, Mignone hopes everyone on the team feels like they played an important role and that they are happy with how the team played this season.

To prepare for the tournament, the team has focused on handling in-game pressure, which will allow them to score more goals, Surhoff said. Most teams lose their focus and intensity as the season ends, but this team has been getting better and more focused every single game, she said.

Gelfer hopes in the last few games the team can give their seniors a good send-off because they have been amazing this year, she said. She didn’t expect the team to be so close at the beginning of the season, but is very happy with the relationships they’ve formed.

With the winter sports season rapidly approaching, the bonds she has made with the people on the team are what Mignone will miss the most, she said. Mignone enjoys spending time with people in other grades and in her own grade who she doesn’t have classes with, she said. 

Surhoff is sad to see the season end because she loves seeing the different personalities of the team and watching them strive for a common goal, she said. She is excited to watch these final games unfold. “It’s a good time to get hot at the end of the season, and we have as good a shot as anybody to win the tournament.”