KEN-DO: Hun School field hockey player Kennedi Kroski, left, goes after the ball in recent action. Hun, who fell 3-1 to the Lawrenceville School last Saturday to move to 5-3, hosts the Blair Academy on October 10. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
By Bill Alden
Entering its game at the Lawrenceville School last Saturday, the Hun School field hockey team was on a roll.
Hun had reeled off three straight wins coming into the contest, outscoring its foes 23-1 in the process.
“We were in a good place; we had talked about trying to limit unforced errors and not give up those easy goals,” said Hun head coach Tracey Arndt. “Our passing patterns were getting better. Our attackers were moving the ball more and getting into good space.”
In the clash with the Big Red, Hun fell behind 1-0 late in the first quarter but answered right back with a goal by Evelyn Miller. But unlike its recent hot streak, Hun’s offense sputtered from there as it ended up losing 3-1.
“We just couldn’t string passes together, we couldn’t get into an offense rhythm,” said Arndt. “They were really getting it strong out of the back, keeping us on our heels. They were cutting to the ball and were doing all of the right things. After the second one, I thought we could come back, we still had plenty of time. They powered through with another one right after it and that deflated us.”
While the loss to Lawrenceville stung, Arndt is pleased with the way her youthful squad has grown over the season.
“We have a fairly young team at the moment,” said Arndt. “We have a core of seniors but we have a really young team. What I like is that they are playing at a high speed. They are all very coachable right now which is very good. Only being at eight games, people would think we would be at a full groove but that is still not a lot of games when you have a lot of new kids. We lost 10 seniors the year before and another five or six this year. We definitely lost a lot over the last two years but this has been a good group.”
Hun has been getting into a groove offensively. “We are seeing some really good stuff,” said Arndt, referring to the three-game winning streak. “The goals were on corners, they were on tips, they were from the top of the circle. We weren’t just scoring in one way. These are games you want on your schedule to prove things and to learn things.”
The pair of freshmen Evelyn Miller and Kennedi Kroski, along with eighth grader Isabel Roche, have been proving they belong at the varsity level.
“Evelyn has to, in her being and in her gut, score; it consumes her in the best way possible,” said Arndt. “She is gritty, she really plays much more mature than she is. She still has a lot of learn but she is that person that is find me in the circle. Kennedi is actually an ice hockey player, she is a three-sport athlete. With our inaugural ice hockey season, she was a great fit for us. She came off an injury that set her back a week and a half ago. Isabel been on a little bit of a tear in recent games. She is an eighth grader. She is 5’6 and has a lot of presence on the field in terms of a finisher.”
Sophomore transfer Delaney Jones has emerged as a top finisher for the Raiders.
“Delaney has got a great shot that can come from the top and she has got a reverse,” said Arndt. “She plays in the center. A lot of our other teams are going to put really strong people in the center as well. She is going against juniors and seniors and holding her own. She plays for a high-level club team so her skill level is certainly there. Now she is just feeling it in how to play within our system. It has been fun to watch, she has been great teammate.”
Another transfer, junior goalie Lynsey Parrott, has made a great impact.
“Our goalie has been lights out for the last couple of games, Lynsey is a great asset,” said Arndt of the former Robbinsville star. “She is also a lacrosse player so she knows some of the girls from both sports. Her skill set is strong. She has a really big presence there, commanding the circle is really important for the goalie.”
With senior star defender Aspen Swanson sidelined by injury, freshman Molly Kuhn has filled that void along the back line.
“Molly is playing much more mature than her age,” said Arndt.“She is really steady and solid. Molly has stepped into that role in a really strong and consistent way. It has been great.”
With Hun hosting the Blair Academy on October 10, Arndt believes her squad can get back on the winning track by utilizing a steady mental approach.
“We have been taking a page out of our girls’ volleyball book, the thing I love is how they can re-set so quickly on anything,” said Arndt. “They lift each other up, the game lends itself to that. We have been using that analogy in field hockey. Mistakes are going to happen, we just have to make less mistakes than the other team. Our communication and our support is going to be really important. It is playing strong, staying smart and really using our strengths. We have a lot of strengths so just keep playing to our strengths and we will be good.”