UMW field hockey buries talons into Bridgewater College in 3-0 dominating victory

by AMANDA SHEWARD

Staff Writer

The UMW field hockey team defeated Bridgewater College in a 3-0 victory on Sept. 4. The Lady Eagles extended their winning streak to a record of 3-0. 

“As a coach, a win is always great because players have worked so hard to get to that point and you know how much they want it, so it’s always rewarding to be able to walk away with the W and see everyone so excited,” said Head Coach Jamie Tierney.

UMW scored first with a goal from graduate student Emma Bernard who is obtaining her master’s in business administration. Bernard scored the lone goal of the first half, however, junior marketing major Grayson Scott reignited the crowd with two goals in the second.

“Scoring was such an exciting feeling, especially celebrating after with hugs from my teammates being on our home turf,” Scott said. “My goals would not have been possible without my teammates and all glory to God for the health and opportunity to play.” 

Scott transferred from Longwood University and is in her second season with the UMW team. As a sophomore in 2023, she started in all 19 games and scored a team-high of 15 goals. 

“It really feels like I have been here from the beginning,” she said.

Tierney, who has been involved with the UMW field hockey program since 2018, gave her thoughts on the team’s early success.

“I think our returners are really showing their experience and what we have been working towards the past couple of seasons,” she said. “We are connecting and playing at a higher pace that we usually don’t see until later in the season.” 

Paige Stewart, a senior mathematics major in the secondary education program, shared her joy with the result of the game.

“The team really showed up against Bridgewater. We executed our transfers smoothly and clicked on the field,” she said. “It was awesome to see all the skills and drills we’ve worked on in practice come together. The energy, both on and off the field, made us hungry for that win.”

Tierney emphasized the importance of connections and trust between teammates this season.

“We need to continue to trust each other and ourselves,” she said. “Sometimes we back off tougher competition, but we have shown that we can hang with ranked teams.” 

She continued, “We need to trust and be confident in our own play to push ourselves and each other.”

As Stewart begins her senior year, she reflects on what makes the team special.

“I’m really going to miss the girls, especially the bonds we’ve built over the past four years,” she said. “The sense of community we’ve created, both on and off the field, is something I’ll always cherish.” 

The Eagle’s next game is on Sept. 14, where they will travel to Shenandoah University and face off against the Hornets.

“Overall I think we look great and will continue to build off each game and look at what we need to improve on and what works,” said Tierney.