Head coach Nina Klein consistently stresses defense in post-game interviews. Yes, as the cliche goes, defense can win championships, but it can also earn Big East Tournament berths — a goal Quinnipiac field hockey has pursued since joining the conference in 2016.
“We’ve had a couple of press conferences, but it’s really just cleaning up our defensive side,” Klein said after a Sept. 15 7-1 win over Merrimack. “I want shutouts. I want to make sure that we’re doing a good job above the 25 (yard line) to organize and not let teams just kind of hit it in and get deflections or allow some of those, you know, softer, weaker goals.”
Building on last season’s near-miss for a Big East Tournament nod — where the team fell to Temple in overtime — maintaining strong defensive play is a must for Quinnipiac this year. For the most part, that focus has been present.
Three of Quinnipiac’s six losses have been decided by a single goal, and another was a 2-0 loss to Providence on Sept. 20, with the second goal coming in the final minute. A key for Quinnipiac in these close games has been the team’s fitness and the ability to compete with teams until the final whistle, a point of emphasis from Klein.
“We are one of the fittest teams in the conference right now,” said Klein. “I would say fittest non-conference as well.”
The importance of fitness traces back to training over the summer, when the players received Garmin fitness watches to track their workouts while preparing for the upcoming season. With a young coach and seven new players on the roster, Quinnipiac needs to control what it can control, one of which is conditioning.
“To show up to training camp fitter than we’ve ever been before has been really great, and it just allows us to be more flexible in our style of play,” Klein said. “I’m glad that we can control that over the season.”
Despite this advantage, shutout losses of 4-0 to the University of New Hampshire and Massachusetts highlight Quinnipiac’s struggle at times to finish and find the back of the net in higher-scoring games.
A glaring statistic for the Bobcats is that they are being outshot 109-143 by their opponents this season. While Quinnipiac has consistently applied pressure in front of opposing nets, increasing shot attempts instead of relying primarily on penalty corner opportunities will serve this team well if it hopes to contend for a tournament berth in October.
At times, the team has put it all together, playing great games on both sides of the ball, most notably in the 7-1 win over Merrimack where freshman defender Francisca Eschoyez showcased her skills by scoring four goals in a dominant performance on both sides of the field for the Bobcats.
“It feels really good,” Eschoyez said after the win. “Thanks to the team we had (penalty) corners, and it was fun.”
Consistently achieving such performances needs to become the norm as the season continues. It’s difficult to identify one area for the Bobcats to prioritize. Under Klein’s guidance — a former goalie with a defensive mindset — the team must find a way to balance its approach. Maintaining solid defense while generating offensive pressure is crucial for a team looking to find its rhythm right now.
Klein has been pushing for her team to go on a winning streak, recalling how they sniffed a conference appearance last season after starting 4-4 through the first eight games. Currently sitting at 2-6, the Bobcats have their work cut out for them.
“It’s really just remaining steadfast at that goal, but recognizing that on a daily basis, we need to be doing the right things,” Klein said.
