As October comes to a close, so does the season for the John Jay Varsity Field Hockey team. Coming off of a tough loss in semifinals last year, the team was eager to get back to sectionals in their 2017 season. With veteran coach Debbie Walsh leading the team, the Indians were able to reach this goal.

Ending the regular season with a stellar record of 11-3-2, John Jay held the #2 seed for sectionals. Due to this high standing, the Indians were given a bye for their first round of playoffs and went straight to beating Brewster 2-0 in quarterfinals.

As John Jay moves on to semifinals, they stare down Rye for a fourth consecutive year, this time with a home field advantage. Senior captain Leigh Neuberger said, “Rye has been a rival of ours for years past… but I think this year the team is ready to beat Rye and get revenge.” With the way the team has grown over the past season, Neuberger’s predictions may become a reality.

This season, the Indians have both a strong forward line and a formidable defense. With top scorers Rosie Ceisler and Tyman Cronin leading the team on offense, the team was able to infiltrate strong defenses throughout the regular season, and continued that trend during their quarterfinal game against Brewster.

When asked about the season, Cronin stressed the importance of bonding not only as a team, but as friends too. She said, “Everyday our team works hard working towards making it to section finals…The fact that we all share a common goal brings us closer together on and off the field.”

John Jay’s defense can’t be forgotten either, with players Anne-Mae Smith and Julia Healy protecting the goal. “Our defense has been incredibly strong this year,” said Healy. “We’ve learned to communicate and connect with each other which has lead us to a very successful season.”

With only 5 out of the 18 players graduating, much of the team will remain the same in the 2018 season. This will allow for a close-knit team, which will hopefully lead to an even better season for the Indians next year. Anna Prusko, senior captain, said, “Field hockey has been such a blast and I’m honored to have been part of the team and I wish them the best next season!”