HONESDALE, PA — The Honesdale Lady Hornets field hockey team continued its early season winning streak by defeating the visiting Lady Warriors of Delaware Valley 3-0 on September 1.

In the first quarter, both teams scored—Madison Gifford, a Delaware Valley junior; and for the home team, Alyssa Czekai along with Rozalyn Mikulak, put the Lady Hornets up 2-1.

The third frame was all Lady Hornets, as Claire Campen put the icing on the cake by scoring the final goal of the match, giving Honesdale a 3-1 win over their opponents from the Wyoming Valley Conference in the non-league match.

Marielle Cavallaro, coach of the Lady Warriors varsity field hockey team (0-3) is in her fourth  year at the helm of a team that counts several seniors on the roster: Brianna Moreschi, Rebecca McFeely, Kathryn Matthews and Nicole Skelenger, while Jenna Zuelch, a sophomore, guards the net, and the squad is captained by junior Nicole Musselwhite.

Last year, Delaware Valley posted a 5-13 record, and Cavallaro said the team’s number-one goal this season is to wrap it up at .500 or better.

Of their only goal by Gifford, Cavallaro said it was scored in the wake of Honesdale’s opening goal as a result of “working on the attack back, pushing through the circle… it was a perfect shot.”

Rebecca Maciejewski is in her 19th year at the helm of the Lady Hornets field hockey program, which wrapped up last season 16-4, although that was posted during a one-year absence from the head coach.

After the win, the third consecutive victory this season for Honesdale (3-0), Maciejewski explained that last year, the league’s field hockey rules were changed from consisting of two halves to four quarters, to “provide more relief for the athletes, as over the years the game has gotten more strategic… so we could meet the demands of modern day field hockey.”

Goals for the 2022 season?

“Individually, for the kids, every day to be the best they can be for one another as a team,” replied Maciejewski. As a group, the goal is to “bring us together and make a lot of hustle and heart plays.”

And strategically speaking, “Looking to cover the green, use the space to create some scoring opportunities, and return to the district finals this year.”

The Lady Hornets field two returning seniors—Laney Neu, the captain, and forward Aimee Johannes.

A new senior to the team is Rachael Collins, in the position of goalkeeper; she is also the first in Hornets history to play two varsity-level sports at the same time.

“Rachael is also a cross-country standout,” said her field hockey coach.