16 Hard Earned Wins: Field Hockey Season Review

The Lakeland girls field hockey team had a great 2021-2022 fall season with the help of hard work, outstanding players, and determination.  

With a 16-2-2 record, the team achieved so much. Not only did the girls win county semi-finals, and make it to the state finals, but also created an unforgettable experience. 

However, the 16 wins did not come for free. Assistant Coach Katie Telschow gave The Ledger insight on how the team achieved such a record. “Of course, when a program has a season like this one, every one of our twenty-nine Lancers had an impact on LLFH. From freshmen who showed up to a seven am practice on Halloween, to sophomores who built that team hype we always had, to juniors who were racing from Sunday morning field hockey to Sunday morning ice hockey but never missed a practice, to seniors who knew every game was a gift…every player was outstanding in her own way.” 

Despite any possible obstacles the girls went out of their way to always be there. Head Coach Patty Kebrdle says, “The team found success by increased scoring, strong defense, supportive teammates, positive attitude, fun practices, and growth in everyone’s skills.”

Though the team as a whole was extremely dedicated, there were some players who stood out from the rest. Coach Kebrdle recognized captains and seniors Abigail ‘Abby’ Slaman and Sarah Biss. “The entire team was led on offense by Abby Slaman and defense by Sarah Biss. Two outstanding senior captains.”

Coach Telschow agreed, saying, “Our senior captains, Abby Slaman and Sarah Biss, were consistently outstanding. The team formed around them and those two never let us down. They stayed focused from the moment our season started until the very last shot on November 4th.” 

The Ledger interviewed Slaman for her input on the season. “This was definitely the best season I personally had at Lakeland during the last four years. We beat West Milford, our rivals, twice and put up a strong fight against one of the top teams in North Jersey, Northern Highlands. We made it to the county finals; however, we lost but this loss made us stronger as a team.” 

Despite any loss, captains Slaman and Biss always picked the team’s head up and reminded the girls of how much was accomplished. Coach Telschow added, “The student-athletes on this team worked together, practiced together, celebrated wins and mourned losses together — they truly demonstrated what it looks like when a team becomes a family.”

Slaman also recognized her fellow team members, “From my perspective, the offensive players that stood out this season are [freshmen] Gianna Peralta, [freshmen] Emily Kebrdle, and [senior Riley] Catalioto. Our defensive team managed to give up only 8 goals all season. [Junior] Meagan Szanto, Sara Biss, [sophomore] Kylen Trossman, [sophomore] Jamie Triolo and Sasha Pollack were the backbone of our success this year. Our team was well balanced on offense and defense, allowing the offensive team to score 73 goals.”

Coach Kebrdle told The Ledger about the incredible job of the varsity defense this season. “We had one of the lowest number of goals scored against us in all of New Jersey!”

There were also many unforgettable moments throughout the fall season. Slaman shared, “An unforgettable moment from this season was definitely our last home state game that went into double overtime and double shoot outs.” 

The state semifinals game was truly one to remember. As friends and family gathered around for support, five selected girls took two sets of one on one shots against the opposing goalkeeper (stroke). Though the team did not take the win, the girls accomplished amazing things and created an unforgettable experience.

As the season came to an end, the coaches reflected and shared predictions for next season. Coach Kebrdle hopes, “All the underclassmen choose to return to the program and continue to grow as players and people. I predict all my graduating seniors will have fantastic experiences wherever they go.” 

Coach Telschow said, “I hope we keep the family feel of this LLFH program. I want to see the commitment to hard work and to each other continue long after this amazing senior class graduates.”

Slaman added, “This season the program graduated 11 seniors. I have faith that everyone will step up when needed and that Lakeland Field Hockey will be successful next year.”