After an incredible regular season for Meridian’s Field Hockey team, the Mustangs readied themselves for the District Tournament. The tournament consisted of four teams, Meridian, Fauquier, Kettle Run, and Brentsville. The Mustangs won their first game against Brentsville 3-0 on Oct. 22. Two days later, they took care of business with a 1-0 win against rival Fauquier, winning the District Title with back to back shutouts.
Entering the first playoff game, the Mustangs were coming off a three game win streak, and a season where they only lost one game. Their dominant defense was the key to steamrolling through the regular season. Meridian did not allow a goal throughout the district tournament, and in doing so, did not suffer a loss. Brentsville stood no chance when they came to the Mustang’s house.
The Mustangs came into the District Championship with high hopes. They were set to play the Fauquier Falcons, a familiar foe. To provide some context to the gravity of this matchup, these two teams have been bitter rivals, both on the field and over social media. The Mustangs split the regular season games they played Fauquier, winning one and losing the other. With the season series tied 1-1, it was a tense atmosphere heading into the District Championship.
When asked about the mentality heading into the championship, Head Coach Anne Steenhoek said, “I think we’re just telling the girls that we need to bump it up a notch now that we’re in the postseason, and that starts with practices.”
The Mustangs put on yet another defensive masterclass, winning by a score of 1-0. The only goal came late in the first half, and after that, the Mustangs focused heavily on defense throughout the game, keeping the ball on the Falcons side of the field for the vast majority of the second half.
Coach Steenhoek did not focus particularly on one aspect of the game in the lead up to the championship.
“[We focused on] just playing as one unit. Not necessarily one thing or another. Especially in the last quarter, I said, ‘whoever’s going to win this game will win because of the mental game,’” Steenhoek replied.
Steenhoek was also asked if the team would put in more hours in preparation for their first regionals game on Oct. 30. “No, we’ll stick to our routine. I try to stay pretty consistent and focus on playing, whoever that is,” Steenhoek replied, and the team supported that strategy.
“We all trust their [the coaching staff’s] decisions,” senior Gia Khan said.
