There is a saying: “It is not how you start, but how you finish.”

This quote can be related to almost anything in life, but it is a perfect example of the Mercy Mavericks Field Hockey team.  While the team started off slow, the team has picked it up with just a few games remaining on the 2013 season.

The team stands at 5-12 with one game left on its schedule. It is the most wins in program history.

So far this season, the team as a whole has attempted 146 shots, and scored on 19 of them, which is good for a goal percentage of 1.46 per game.  The part that is most impressive of the Mavericks team is the talent that is present all throughout the roster. The talent is evident from the seven different players on the team who have scored at least one goal on the season.  Five separate players also have assisted a teammate on a goal as well.

So far this season, the leading goal scorer is Freshman Jaclyn Ballin. The freshmen from Cupertino, California has had a very impressive season in her first year at Mercy.  Before the season, the coaches noted that  the team was excited to see her at the forward position due to her feisty play and ability to attack the cage every time she has possession of the ball.  So far, Ballin has lived up to coaches expectations. Although she has attempted only 19 shots, she has been able to score five goals, in just nine starts. The future looks bright for the young forward.

Mavericks goalkeeper Kristen Znaniecki has also had a solid season in goal.  The senior from Port Jefferson Station has recorded an impressive 114 saves this year, while only allowing a respectable 41 goals.  If you do the math, that brings her goals allowed per game to around just 3 goals.

From Oct. 5 to Oct. 12,, the team had three games on the schedule.  Away at Newberry, home against Ramapo, and away against Saint Anselm. This three game stretch was the best stretch of the season for the Mavericks. The team won all three of these games and outscored their opponents with  a score of 12-5. They beat Newberry 7-3, Ramapo 3-2, and Saint Anselm with a score of 2-0.

The game against Saint Anselm was an all around solid game for the Mavericks, but especially solid for the goalkeeper Znaniecki. She was able to record her first shutout on the year while stopping 12 shots on goal.  The offense for the Mavericks was provided by freshman Ballin who scored off a loose ball in the 37th minute, and als0 freshman Samantha Burke was able to score just a few minutes later off a shot by Junior Yolie Nyero.  The freshman duo of Ballin and Burke, to go along with the phenomenal goalkeeping of Znaniecki led to a win for Mercy, and their third win in  a row.

While the start of the season was not easy for the Mavericks, as the season went on, the team started to have more success. According to coach Katie Kinsley,  the reason for her teams recent success is pretty simple. She said, “the large freshmen class on the team came in ready to make an impact. While it took time for the team to all mesh, they were able to reach a point where they are all confident and prepared for success every time they step on the field.

“With such a young and talented team, the future is bright for the Mercy Mavericks Field Hockey team.