The ball rolls in front of senior right midfielder Carly Lyon, she winds up and slams the ball into the far right corner of the goal. With that slam, Lyon sent the varsity field hockey team to their second straight championship game. She jumped up in the air, hugged junior center midfielder Charlotte Haggerty, who assisted, and was mobbed by the entire field hockey team.

The field hockey team will play the championship game at Stevenson University’s Mustang stadium on Nov. 1 against Maryvale.

“I was completely relieved when I scored, but then I realized that my last field hockey game at JC, ever, just ended,” Lyon said.

Thursday, Oct. 29, the varsity field hockey team defeated their rival, Indian Creek, 2-1 in the semifinals in double overtime. Haggerty scored a goal in the final seconds of the first overtime, but it was taken away after Indian Creek claimed the corner was called after time had already run out, so the shot should never have happened in the first place.

Emotions ran high after the goal was taken back, but the girls were determined. “I was angry, but I knew we had the heart to win the game,” senior right defender Sam Carey said.

Varsity field hockey finished off their regular season undefeated. Currently, their record stands at 14-2 overall, and 10-0 in conference.

After winning the championship against Maryvale last year, the team will be playing them once again in the championship on Sunday, Nov. 1. “As far as I can tell I have no recollection of [field hockey] going undefeated. This could be our first time possibly winning [the championship] back to back. I’m very optimistic though. I know this group of girls well, and I know their determination and heart will make us tough to beat,” head coach Gary Scholl said.

So far this season, the team has scored 60 goals and has given up only nine, making them, statistically, the best defense in the conference. Junior goalie Emma Gromacki has 90 saves out of 99 shots so far this season.

The overall success of the team is not only credited to the talent of the players, but the friendships they hold as well. “We all worked really well together, and we didn’t play for ourselves. We had good chemistry on and off the field,” Haggerty said.

“[The success of the team] is more of a team bonding thing. We have captains like Carly Lyon, Katie Sullivan, Sam Carey, and Claire Grunewald that keep us [together] as a whole. We have a lot of heart,” sophomore right midfielder Alyssa Kraus said.

Scholl and the team’s relationship also contributes to the confidence and achievements they have attained. According to Haggerty, Scholl brings many Native American traditions that unify the team and help their bond grow stronger.

Traditions that Scholl brings to his team include the Vision Quest and the “Lulu.” The team performs these celebrations after every game they win. The team also wears shirts that have each player’s own unique Cheyenne name on the back on game days.

Scholl thinks highly of his team and cherishes the bond they share. “The girls on the team are kind, responsible people. I get to spend at least two hours a day with a great group of human beings. You have to have good people to make a great team,” Scholl said.

With the excitement building and pressure setting in, the team continues on in their pursuit for the championship title. “We’re definitely nervous, but I think we’re ready to play because we’ve been working really hard, and Mr. Scholl has been pushing us to do better. We just have to stay humble and confident,” Kraus said.

Erin McCloskey is a Copy Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.