By By Justin Paley
Heading into the 2005 season, the Pride field hockey team had high expectations. It was coming off its first postseason appearance in 17 years and returned 13 players, including six starters from a 2004 team that finished 13-8.
Although the Pride fell short of reaching its ultimate goal of getting back to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship game, it still met expectations and has plenty to build on after ending the season with a 13-7 record.
“There’s a lot of positives to take from this season,” head coach Kathy DeAngelis said. “It was one of our most exciting. We return 21 players and lose two starters out of 24 [players], that’s amazing. It’s exciting to see nearly the entire team return next year. Recruiting is at the best it could be. Knowing this team will return next year is something we can celebrate and work hard in the off-season. In my eyes, we have one of the most talented teams for sure next year. We had a great season and some incredible wins. We’re knocking on the door and ready to get into the [NCAA] Tournament next year.”
As usual, the Pride started the season hot, winning its first four games as it hosted the Pride Classic and the Pride Invitational the first two weeks of the season.
Freshmen led the way for the Pride, as Brit Blankmeyer scored four goals in her first college game. As teams figured out how to defend her, Blankmeyer cooled off, finishing the season with seven goals.
Charlia Warner scored two goals in her debut in the Pride’s 3-1 win over Maine in the Pride Invitational on Sept. 3.
The Pride hit the road on Sept. 10 to take on 2004 NCAA Tournament teams Boston College (BC) and Boston University (BU). The Pride fell behind 3-0 early at BC before losing 3-2 and was shut out by BU, 4-0.
After a mid-week road win at Fairfield, the Pride traveled to Syracuse University to face the Orange. Kara McEneaney and Pemba Ramdoo each had goals as the Pride shut out the Orange, 2-0. In the win, goalie Jessica Cowperthwait had eight saves.
Cowperthwait felt that was the turning point in the Pride’s season, saying, “From the Syracuse game on we played like a top team.”
The University of Delaware Blue Hens was the first Pride opponent in conference play on Sunday, Sept. 25 at Shuart Stadium. In an exciting contest, Doni-Melissa Jantzen scored the game winner in the third round of penalty strokes.
The following Friday the Pride took on the newest member of the CAA, Northeastern, and lost, 4-0.
DeAngelis won her 100th game as a college head coach on Sept. 30 in the Pride’s 4-1 win over Drexel.
Warner, Blankmeyer and Leslie DeSimone all scored in the Pride’s 3-0 win at Princeton on Oct. 7.
Warner made her impact felt, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime of the Pride’s 2-1 win at Towson on Oct. 9.
Facing her former assistant Wendy Brady Andreatta, DeAngelis’s team suffered a setback, losing 1-0 to Columbia at Shuart Stadium on Oct. 16.
The Pride bounced back five days later, clinching a CAA Tournament berth in a 3-0 win over William & Mary as the team outplayed the Tribe the entire contest. Ramdoo had a goal and two assists in the victory.
The Pride played No. 7 Old Dominion tough on Senior Day at Shuart Stadium, but lost a 1-0 heartbreaker.
The Pride traveled to Virginia for the final weekend of CAA regular season play and was victorious over No. 19 James Madison, but struggled with a grass-like surface at Virginia Commonwealth and lost, 3-2.
Unlike the regular season game that went into overtime with Towson, the Pride had no problem disposing of the Tigers, 4-1, in the CAA Tournament quarterfinal. Warner had a big game, finishing with a hat trick.
In the CAA Tournament semifinal, the Pride played Northeastern tough, but had no answer for Whitney Shean, who had a hat trick in a 3-2 win over the Pride.
The only players the Pride will lose to graduation are Katherine Kotowski, Melanie Williams and Sekayi Liburd, with Kotowski and Liburd being starters. Liburd led the defense as the Pride out shot its opponents, 264-178. Sophomores Shannon Alexander and Ayanna McClean also played a key role on defense.
Jantzen scored 10 goals last year and was named to the third-team All-American. This year, she was asked to play a more defensive role but still scored four goals and had four assists.
“We have amazing potential for next year,” Cowperthwait said. “We need to gel early and show up for all games.”