On Wednesday, October 8, the William Paterson Field Hockey team will start conference play. Their first matchup is against rival Montclair State University. 

Historically, the Pioneers have a rough record, falling 3-16 against Montclair. That being said, the games have been close matches, the final scores falling within a few points of each other.

The two schools currently have very similar records, with Montclair being 3-7 compared to William Paterson’s 2-7 record. 

Additionally, William Paterson field hockey is gaining momentum after their two recent wins. 

The Pioneers recorded back-to-back wins over strong teams. 

These wins included a 2-0 win over Albright College and an electric 4-0 senior night win over Cedar Crest College. The team has also recently had conference honorees named on the team.

This past week, sophomore forward Ali Stoner was named NJAC Offensive Player of the Week. The week prior, sophomore forward and midfielder Julia Dennehy was named NJAC Offensive Player of the Week.

The Pioneers are proving to have been successful recently. But this raises the question: was it just a slow start to the season, and success is coming in spades now, or is this only a blip of success for the team? 

Freshman midfielder Guiliana Pasquarella comments on the upcoming conference games, “I think we are ready, but we won’t win by luck; we have to fight hard in order to win, but I think we can win.”

The field hockey team’s next few games will definitely be interesting to follow to see if the team can continue their campaign for success.