UP IN ARMS: Hun School field hockey player Delaney Jones celebrates after scoring a goal in a game this season. Sophomore transfer Jones starred in the midfield for Hun, scoring a team-high 16 goals as the Raiders posted a final record of 11-7. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)

By Bill Alden

Over the fall, the Hun School field hockey team displayed a lot of quality.

“One of our strengths was playing what we would consider higher level hockey,” said Hun head coach Tracey Arndt, who guided the Raiders to an 11-7 record this season as it improved from going 8-10 in 2024. “Back in the day, you hit the ball as far as you could and hope that somebody would be on the other end. We had build up with passing. I think our set pieces were better than in the past. We scored on a lot of corners, which was great. It is a hard thing to do.”

Hun raised its level of play, going 4-1 down the stretch as it posted some impressive wins, topping Montgomery High 6-1, Lawrence High 7-0, Princeton High 7-1, and Peddie School 2-1 before falling 2-0 to powerhouse Pennington in its season finale.

“PHS was very good and we got off to a good start, some days you are just on and that felt like it,” said Arndt. “Montgomery was really good. We had some really great stretches. There were still a lot of good things that were happening. I feel good about the amount of girls I was able to play. I have a deeper bench than I have had in the past so I was able to rotate people in and out and in many games that helped us stay fit.”

Arndt acknowledged that the squad also had some stretches where the players got away from that level of play.

“During the season when we had been up by a goal, it flowed really well with good passes and things like that,” said Arndt. “Once we got scored on, I think they tried to do things too much by themselves instead of focusing on the game plan. One of strengths this year was our ability to pass and when we shied away from it, then it was more challenging for us. I think for as talented as many of my girls were, we had a young core. We had some older leadership but really the area of focus as I reflect on the year is on mindset and in-game resilience.”

The team’s senior group displayed resilience throughout the fall.

“We had some seniors that stepped up in ways,” said Arndt.

“They found their roles, they found their leadership as seniors, which was cool. In moments when we needed them the most they were there so that was good.”

Addi McNally (4 goals and 4 assists this fall) and Vicky Lubaczewski (1 assist) stepped up in leadership roles.

“Addi was one of our senior captains, she was our only four-year varsity player,” said Arndt. “The other captain was Vicky Lubaczewski. Field hockey was not Vicky’s first sport by any stretch but she was very coachable. She had the grit and determination. She was one that would come out and really get the girls ready to play.”

A third senior, Kate Smith, proved to be an unsung hero for the Raiders.

“Kate was one of our captains and hardly played but she knew her role so well,” said Arndt, whose senior class also included Abby Eastman, Natalia Landamia, Brynn Shapiro, and Keaton Vales. “She is the ultimate leader from the bench and actually won one of our coaches awards at the end of the year because she is the epitome of what it means to be a good teammate. She was bringing her best self, whether she played a minute in the game or the whole game. I know the girls learned a lot from her and it wasn’t even from anything she did on the field.”

As for Hun’s young core, sophomore transfer Delaney Jones (16 goals, 5 assists) emerged as one of the squad’s best players.

“It will be amazing to have her for two more years,” said Arndt. “She is very versatile between her former school and her club team. She has played almost every position so she knows the game fairly well. For me, it is just having her bringing that fire to control the midfield, especially when we are down. Our leading goal scorer is a sophomore — that is amazing. She did it at the center mid position through rebounds and she was one of our main hitters on corners.”

The trio of junior goalie Lynsey Parrott (120 saves), junior Caroline Sirolly (5 goals, 5 assists), and sophomore Amanda Wolfe (3 goals, 1 assist) showed plenty of game this fall.

“Lynsey in the back was a great asset for us,” said Arndt. “Caroline is a gamer. She is a great competitor, she is a great leader for us. We actually had her in a couple of different positions. Amanda became this really steady and calm presence in the back. She stepped up and could read the field well.”

Two eighth-graders, Evelyn Miller (13 goals, 3 assists) and Isabel Roche (3 goals, 2 assists), thrived in their first taste of high school competition.

“It is rare, at least in my world, to have someone that feels in the depths of their heart that they must score,” said Arndt of Miller. “It is not a selfish play, she just knows that is how she is going to contribute so that was really great. She was our second leading scorer. Isabel plays beyond her years. If you look at her, you would say she is at least a 10th grader with the way she plays. They both have things they need to work on as little 14-year-olds.”

The team’s returners are dedicated to working hard as they look to build on this season’s progress.

“They are committed to their offseason program, we have a really great strength and conditioning staff at our school,” said Arndt. “A lot of them are multi-sport athletes, which I love because it gives them a chance to think the game a little bit differently.”