Review 2000
Philadelphia, PA - 2000 Year in Review: A
season that opened with promise, ended in
frustration for the Saint Joseph's University field
hockey team in 2000. The Hawks concluded
the campaign with a disappointing 5-14 record
overall and finished 0-5 in the Atlantic 10.
Snakebitten throughout the year, the Crimson
and Gray lost seven matches by a single goal.
In addition, the squad was forced to play a
school record eight overtime games, dropping
five of them.
Head coach Joan Broderick knew that her charges would have to step
up their level of play as the Hawks played one of the most demanding
schedules in the region during the early portion of the season. SJU
opened the year with four of its first five games on the road, three of
them against potential Top 20 teams.
Struggling out of the gate, the Hawks dropped the season's first three
games. SJU, however, rebounded to rally past Penn in overtime and
appeared poised to reach the break-even point after posting exciting
back-to-back victories over Richmond and Hofstra on Finnesey Field.
An overtime defeat to #20 Drexel, in a game that the Hawks led from the
outset, began a downward spiral from which SJU would not recover. The
team dropped nine of its next 10 matches, including a seven-game
losing skid. The lone bright spot in the stretch was a thrilling 3-2 OT win
over Delaware in Newark. In that contest SJU rallied from a two-goal
deficit with under 10 minutes to play in regulation to shock the Hens.
Offensively, the team struggled to develop a consistent attack and was
shutout on nine occasions. In most matches, sophomores Kathy
Sokalski and Brett Dymarczyk were left to shoulder the bulk of the
responsibility. A talented tandem, this duo finished the season as the
team's top two scorers. Sokalski led the team in assists with seven and
points with 17. She and Dymarczyk tied for the lead with five goals
apiece. Sokalski's seven helpers placed her in a tie for tenth on the
Hawks' all-time single season list.
On defense, seniors Mary Kate Brislin, the team MVP, and Carly
Pasceri, junior Katie Helder and sophomore Natasha Pronga, along with
junior netminder Lauren Bradley were tested often.
Recognized for their achievements at different points in the season were
Pronga and freshman Amie Schmoltze. Pronga, who led the team in
defensive saves with five, was recognized by the Atlantic 10 as an
All-Conference selection, SJU's lone representative. Schmoltze was
twice honored as the A-10 Rookie of the Week and ranked third on the
team in scoring.
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