The field hockey team is off to an explosive start this season. They enter the school year with three conference game victories and an overall record of 4-1. The team as a whole has been greatly affected by the annual influx of new players.

First the games; in conference the team is 3-0. Stephenson was the first opponent and their first victory with a final of 4-0.

Senior Captain Julia Pappageorge said “It was challenging on grass and with new people. Stephenson wasn’t one of those teams that you couldn’t just move in and shoot. We had to get out of our comfort zone.” It must’ve been tough to make that transition from the Northfield’s turf field to the grassy fields of Stephenson.

The game against Francis Parker ended with a 3-0 New Trier victory. “Playing them at home was an advantage, it was good to have family and friends there and it wasn’t too difficult” said Pappageorge. In both games the team’s play has proven quite a challenge for opponents to break.

The field hockey team is most recently coming off a tournament (not conference) that took place in St Louis on Friday and Saturday, where they faced Mary Institute Country Day, Marquette, and St. Ursula Academy. On Friday, New Trier lost the one and only game they had that day. The next and final day they made a comeback, wining both of their games.

“It was 95 degrees and we played a lot of good teams from all over the Midwest. The skill sets that we saw pushed us and we really kicked it into gear after the first game. Did we want to go home with nothing to show for or did we want to put our best foot forward?” said Pappageorge. “It was a moment when everyone banded together and stood up as leaders and one of those trips where you bond with your teammates.”

On September 3, New Trier gave Homewood-Flossmoor a run for their money with a 9-0 victory. The team was able to band together during the second half. Once again , NT was able to benefit by playing on their home field.

On August 14, the day of tryouts, a lot of new juniors and seniors found their place on the team. Only 13 players from the previous year returned and not many of them were starters.

The entire defense has been replaced with new juniors and seniors. Head coach Stephanie Nykaza believes that the newcomers are right where they should be and are making progress. “After St. Louis, they are more in the swing of things. A lot of the goals that got past us in St. Louis won’t be in the mid-season” said Nykaza.

It appears that the new defense will not be the only ones stepping up this season according to Nykaza, “Last year our seniors were leaders, the seniors this year will realize that they will now have to step into their shoes.”