The Geneseo field hockey team is already struggling to get to the top of the conference. The squad’s 1-3 record is a little misleading though, as the team has faced some tough opponents in their first few games. “We’re good about where we’re at right now,” head coach Jessica Seren said. “Our intentions were to go into these first few games understanding that we were going to have a difficult schedule.”

Three of the Knights’ first five opponents are Skidmore College, Salisbury University and William Smith College, all of whom finished top three in their respective conferences last season.

“There are no significant adjustments we have to make right now based on our record,” Seren added.

One major adjustment for the team will be learning to play away from home. Due to poor facilities, the Knights only have four home games.

“One of the aspects of our season we’re using as a learning tool for our team is getting used to playing on the road,” Seren said.

Despite the hard schedule and losses early on, the team looks to continue to improve its play and use its experience to get better as the season rolls along.

“The record may not show the improvements that we’re making, but playing on the road will help us when we open up conference play in October,” Seren said.

A bright spot has been the play of junior goalkeeper Dayna Mercer. She already has 36 saves and is a dominant presence on the team.

Seren didn’t hesitate to call Mercer her best player this year.

“[Mercer] has stepped up as a leader for us in the backfield and she is holding her own…especially early on against stronger teams,” she said.

The team doesn’t play a home game until Oct. 3 when they will face SUNY Oneonta. There are also three other teams in the SUNYAC conference that only have one win so far. With 15 regular season games left on the schedule, the team has lots of time to recover.

The Knights hope their tough early schedule will prepare them for the road ahead and that their veteran keeper can lead the way.

Editor’s note: Geneseo lost 4-0 on Wed. Sept. 10

Coming off a 7-0 loss to Salisbury University on Friday Aug. 29 to start the season, the Geneseo field hockey team bounced back the next day to beat Union College 3-2. Freshman Emma Dempsey scored the game-winner in overtime in the 83rd minute.Head coach Jess Seren said the team needs to come together in order to continue its success. “We graduated eight seniors last year and six started, so there is a lot of growth in the area of getting used to playing with each other,” Seren said. One characteristic that could define the team this year is its youth. The Knights have just five seniors on their roster and six juniors. Seren hopes that junior forward Sarah Malinak will be able to set an example for the younger players on offense. “[I expect Malinak] to pick up where she left off last season in terms of being a big offensive threat for us and producing a lot of goals,” she said. “She’s … one of the most experienced on the front line.” Up front, Geneseo is very inexperienced. Malinak, a 2013 first team all-SUNYAC selection, is one of only two upperclassmen at the forward position. There are only three more at midfield. “We’re starting four freshman this season, so we’re…looking to [Malinak] to kind of lead the way offensively,” Seren said. Seren acknowledged that despite having such a small number of upperclassmen, the Knights have clearly defined leaders. “Senior captain Ashley Favata and junior captain Elena Hingston have done a really good job so far with their leadership on and off the field,” she said. With regards to defense, Seren still hopes that the veteran players will be able to inspire the younger girls, particularly sophomore mid back Liz Doherty and junior goalie Dayna Mercer. Geneseo is coming off of a 13-7 season in which the team finished second in the SUNYAC regular season standings. That kind of success may be tough to duplicate with such an inexperienced squad, but Seren is confident in her players’ abilities. “[I expect us] to be competitive every game and progress throughout the season,” she said. “The team needs to use [its] non-conference schedule as a chance to get ready for conference play.” Between the youth factor and the aggressive play that is expected from the front line, the Knights will be an interesting team to watch during SUNYAC play. Of course, these things could make the team prone to mistakes early on. Another high-seeded trip to the SUNYACs would make this season a success overall. Geneseo plays at Skidmore College on Saturday, Sept. 6 and at William Smith College on Sept. 10.

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