Blythe Hastings ’23
Sports Editor
The Trinity Women’s field hockey team rarely ceases to amaze Bantam students and fans alike, with a dominant performance against Springfield College on Tuesday, Sept. 21. India Shay ’22, Caelin Flaherty ’22, and Jackie Frank ’24 combined for a total of seven goals. This rout is not uncommon for the women as they have scored a total of 26 goals in their first five games, with only two goals scored against. This win over Springfield College makes the women the current winningest team on campus.
This winning streak has improved the Bantam to 13th in the nation. Senior captain India Shay ’22 had a standout performance, with three goals in multiple quarters. Fan favorite and scoring machine Caelin Flaherty ’22 scored twice, once on an individual breakaway that had Springfield defenders reeling. Another exceptional performance came from senior captain Christine Taylor ’22, who was recently named Bantam of the week for her performance against Smith College. She has started all five games this season and will continue to be a force the Bantams rely on to make plays in the midfield, on offense, and defense.
The Bantams showed their strength quickly, scoring the first goal in 32 seconds of the starting whistle. Frank ’24 put away a rebound from Flaherty ’22 and from then on, the two starting forwards were electric, assisting each other and making plays to move the ball up the middle towards goal. Shay ’22 scored a hattrick, the first time in her college career, giving the Bantams a definite lead relatively early in the game. Goalie Olivia McMichael ’24, in her first career start, made a total of five saves, shutting out Springfield in the first half. Goalie Emma Cropper ’23 took over in the second half to end the game, with no goals scored against.
The Bantams outshot the pride 30-9, showing off their dynamic offense. Riley Nichols ‘23, starting wing and skillful playmaker, commented after the game, “The field hockey team is a really close-knit group this year. It’s such a great environment to be both on and off the field. We have started strong this season and I am extremely excited and confident about the rest of the season.”
With the best start to the season on record, the Bantams have a great chance to make a scene in the NESCAC this upcoming season. The matchups to look out for are against Williams, Tufts, and Middlebury. With a good enough record, or with a third-place finish or better within the NESCAC conference, the women will face a competitive post-season. The team faces Williams away, their second NESCAC game, Saturday, Sept. 25. With such a good showing of fans at home games, the women have been excited by the buzz surrounding their exceptional season start. Bantam fans are hungry for another win, and so is the team.
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