'Our backfield and goalie have not really been challenged much this season; We know that is about to change drastically,' West Perry's head field hockey coach Wendy Byers on Lower Dauphin

Lower Dauphin field hockey, as a collective unit, needed to “flip the switch” a few weeks ago to maintain the brand of LD hockey that most teams set out to try to defeat. 

“We’ve been here before,” senior Dani Murphy said after Lower Dauphin beat Twin Valley 5-0. “Last year, when we lost to both Hershey and Palmyra, we knew we had to flip the switch. We had to turn on the intensity. We just can’t come in expecting we’re going to beat everybody. We had to do it. We have to have that intensity.” 

The Falcons are 14-2 and snapped their losing streak to Hershey in their most recent game against them. Every Fall season there’s a mid-state battle between Lower Dauphin, Palmyra, and Hershey.

The three teams are historically known to rank either nationally, and in Pennsylvania, or sit at the top of the Pennsylvania rankings published by MAX Field Hockey. MAX Field Hockey publishes its latest rankings this week. 

“I think we’re really connecting,” freshman Lily Rost said.

Rost scored two goals in Lower Dauphin’s game against Twin Valley. 

“We’re focusing on the baseline a lot. Since the beginning of the season, I’ve tried to do that run. But, because I’m constantly doing it, it’s gotten better. Especially, looking up at the stroke and…can’t go into the goalie, but looking up for the pass up and over, or pass around the cage completely.” 

Lower Dauphin takes on West Perry tonight. Both teams are in District 3 and the Mid-Penn Conference. West Perry captured the Colonial Division title, remains undefeated, and has only allowed five goals on the season. 

Their season sounds a lot like last year’s Boiling Springs team, which went undefeated and captured the District 3 Class 1A title and PIAA Class 1A title without losing one game all Fall.

Lower Dauphin is in Class 3A, and West Perry is Class 1A. 

Over the weekend, West Perry took home a trophy after winning Cumberland Valley’s third annual high school tournament. The tournament featured Hazleton, Mechanicsburg, West Perry, and Cumberland Valley. 

West Perry’s Jordan Byers was selected to take the penalty stroke, which was awarded in overtime. She had just enough power in her lift for it to bounce into the cage behind Cumberland Valley dynamo keeper Katie Hume. 

While the ending of the tournament was similar to West Perry’s last Colonial Division contest, the game play between defeating Cumberland Valley and Shippensburg was different. Shippensburg still plays on the grass. 

West Perry’s game against Cumberland Valley was a solid back and forth; tons of marking; and both defenses took away opponents' shots from the top of the circle. 

“We squeaked by Shippensburg on their grass field…with a 1-0 win,” West Perry head coach Wendy Byers said. “That was our last Colonial Division game this season. We were able to accomplish one of our big team goals – becoming Colonial Division Champions with an undefeated division record. Although we dominated the game, we struggled capitalizing on offensive movements in front of the cage. We were given a penalty stroke in the second quarter. Jordan Byers took the stroke and was able to score our lone goal of the game.” 

At first glance of the schedule, one may think that West Perry intentionally set up its Fall to end its season with some of the toughest competitors - Mechanicsburg, Cumberland Valley, Lower Dauphin.

But, that isn’t the case, Wendy Byers said. West Perry beat Mechanicsburg in the first round of tournament 3-0. 

“There was actually no strategy in this schedule,” she said. “The CV tournament has previously been the first weekend of October. However, this is a huge SAT testing day and I think it was moved back a weekend just to stay off of that testing day. Mechanicsburg was a new addition to the tournament this year. We added Lower Dauphin to our schedule last year and they have been our last out-of-division game on our schedule this year and last year. I do think this is a great way to end; playing such a high level, fast-paced team right before playoffs begin.” 

Lower Dauphin’s Erin Catalfano said her athletes are ready to go, too. In her first year as head coach of the Falcons, she said she was very pleased with what she saw in the their Friday game against Twin Valley. She gave credit to the Raiders’ keeper Maddie Stevens – who she called “incredible." 

“Our motto is just taking it one game at a time,” Wendy Byers said. “And, we will process any setbacks as a team and hopefully learn from them moving forward. Our backfield and goalie have not really been challenged much this season. We know that is about to change drastically…We will adjust and make any changes for the team’s success if we find that is something we need to do.” 

She continued: “I couldn’t be more pleased with this amazing group of young ladies. They are hardworking, humble and team players. They are able to celebrate each other's successes. When that stops as a team, that’s when things go downhill quickly. You have to play as a team and know that each member’s role is a critical part of the structure. The passing game is key to our success moving forward, they need to be selfless and find those critical passes that will lead to offensive success and goal scoring opportunities. I tell them defense is what wins championships, so we really need to hold our space defensively, keep our composure and not overcommit, and recover immediately when necessary. Addison Brandt has been doing a great job at sweeper communicating with her defense. She is one of our most humble and selfless players who cares not about her successes, but about her team’s successes. She is truly a great kid.” 

Photo: West Perry champions of Cumberland Valley high school field hockey tournament, Bob Benscoter