After finishing its season with a 9-3-2 record, the Virginia club field hockey team will look to defend last year's national title when it hosts the upcoming national tournament Nov. 11-12.
What may be most impressive about the Cavaliers, though, is that they are entirely a student-run club. They do not have a coaching staff, a team trainer or any of the other staff varsity teams enjoy. Yet, without any outside help, the team has still been dominant -- they are undefeated in their division, and each of their three losses was by a one-goal differential.
"I think that we all have high expectations for our team because we'd all love to defend our national title," said senior Jennifer Ursomarso, co-president of the club. "It helps to keep us from making excuses for ourselves when we set our goals high."
The Cavaliers are part of the National Field Hockey League and are in the Mason-Dixon Division along with Georgetown, George Washington, George Mason, Maryland and William & Mary.
However successful the Cavaliers were during the regular season, the team puts much more importance on winning their second national championship. So, although the team will try to treat the tournament the same way they would treat any other game, there is no doubt as to what is at stake.
"We are the defending champions, so we know people are out to get us, which only makes us work harder at being the best," junior Nicole Debien said. "The intensity level of practices has definitely increased the closer we come to Nov. 11."
The Cavaliers are in good position to defend their throne. However, the team knows that this will not be an easy feat. Every team that makes it to the national tournament has worked hard to get there -- only eight teams make the postseason. The finish line is within sight, but the Cavaliers will not get there without jumping a few hurdles.
"I can't be sure who we will play at nationals, but there are those few teams -- the 'teams to beat' -- that we always expect to be a challenge," Ursomarso said. "Virginia Tech and JMU are our biggest rivals. Maryland and Delaware also are always strong teams. At nationals our attitude has to be to play our own game."
Because the players have no coach to guide them, a group of veteran players -- the executive officers -- take a leadership role that is vital to the team's success. This select group, along with other veteran players, help to provide motivation and preparation that allows the team to be successful.
"The executive officers work together to run practices, lead tournaments, etc.," Ursomarso said. "At the same time, though, everyone benefits from constructive criticism, so we really all 'coach' each other. We also have a number of fifth-years and graduate students who have been great leaders due to their experience and consistency."
As their record indicates, the team is just as serious about winning as any of the varsity teams. However, for the players, being a member of the club field hockey team is more than what shows up in the box score. The players have made lasting friendships that are just as important in making the experience worthwhile.
"We have been playing better as a team than ever before, and our main goal is to win nationals this year," senior Lindsay Davis said. "However, regardless of what happens at nationals, we have become a very coherent group, and everyone loves playing field hockey together, and that is just as important."
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