The field hockey team wrapped up the first half of its season this past week with two games against North Coast Athletic Conference opponents Ohio Wesleyan University and The College of Wooster.

The team traveled to Delaware, Ohio, on Sept. 27 to face the Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops. The game was scoreless in the first half until the Bishops scored in the 34th minute. The Yeowomen failed to score before the halftime whistle and began the second half down 1–0.

Five minutes into the second half the Bishops added another goal to push their lead to 2–0. The Yeowomen responded with a goal of their own in the 53rd minute by sophomore forward Jodi Helsel. However, the team failed to score again and finished the game on the losing end of a tight 2–1 match.

“The offense was not awake,” said first-year midfielder Taylor Swift.

The Yeowomen were outshot 15–8 by Ohio Wesleyan University, and of the eight shots the Yeowomen took during the game, only two were on goal.

“We weren’t playing as a unit. When we play as a team, good things happen,” said junior midfielder Karin Yoshida, who leads the team with eight goals so far this season.

Two days later, the Yeowomen hosted The College of Wooster Fighting Scots. The Scots jumped out to a quick 3–0 lead in the first half, but Swift found the back of the goal in the 30th minute. The score remained the same at halftime.

The second half was a defensive showcase, with neither team scoring until the final minutes of the half when Wooster scored its fourth goal of the game in the 68th minute. With just two minutes left, the Yeowomen were unable to come back from a three-goal deficit, falling to the Scots 4–1.

Instead of working as a unified squad, “our teamwork was split up [throughout the game],” explained Yoshida.

Teamwork is especially important for the Yeowomen because they have been playing shorthanded this season with just 16 players on the roster, a few of whom are injured. This combination has left the team with only one or two substitutes per game.

With seven more regular season games to play, the field hockey team looks forward to the second half of the season. “All the teams in our league are beatable. It’s about putting everything together,” said senior goalkeeper Kiran Puri.

“This is the best team I’ve been on,” added Yoshida. “We’re now capable.”

Saturday’s loss left the Yeowomen with a 2–6 record, which they look to improve upon when they play Denison University this Friday at home.