On Thursday, Sept. 11, Phoenix Girl’s Field Hockey played a home game against the Tuscarora Huskies, and in a close fight, Tuscarora managed to score a point on Rock Ridge, marking a 0-1 final score. “[Tuscarora] had quick, skilled forwards who would transition from defense to offense very quickly,” sophomore forward Anshika Atluri said. “The Tuscarora team was creating a wall around the person who was passing, so it was harder [for us] to send the ball out,” freshman defender Fernanda Rojas said. 

Despite this, Phoenix played well during the game, utilizing optimal defense and offense techniques. “We focused on making tighter passes on offense, maintaining good [precise] positioning on offense and defense, and applying more pressure on defense,” Atluri said. “Offensively, we had good movement on the ball, and defensively, we were good at preventing shots.”

Another thing that Rock Ridge did well was communication. The team felt that their cooperation during the game was successful, and they were able to organize themselves on the field in a way that ensured efficient passes. “I definitely feel like our passing and communication was amazing,” Rojas said. “We would give a couple of passes and already be halfway up the field. Communication helps with [good passes] a lot, because we would communicate and tell each other where we were to give good passes.” 

This game was a learning experience for the team, and they plan on utilizing the lessons learned in future matches. “A lesson we all took is realizing that we can actually put up a good fight; it’s all about the attitude we have going into it,” junior forward Daniela Rojas said. “Even after multiple losses, our team is always smiling and looking for ways to play better. Whenever it’s a rough game, and especially when it’s a close one, I always tell my teammates to have fun with it because sometimes we forget that’s the whole point.”

The girls will take on the Broad Run Spartans in an away game on Sept. 29.