Since the beginning of the school year, fall sports season has been in full swing. The varsity field hockey team has battled tough competition for almost two weeks, leading them to a current record of 2-4.

The team has a new head coach to guide the 12 seniors and nine underclassmen through the season: Jennifer Puritz, former Hillsborough Middle School field hockey coach.

“This is an amazing group to work with as a first year head coach,” Puritz said. “Most of them have been playing since middle school and I think that experience makes them a strong team.”

So far, the team is lead in both goals and assists by seniors Annie Ryan and Allie Benadon, and sophomore Payton Altman. For the fourth year, senior Macy Brandwein is a powerhouse as a goalkeeper.

The season opened with a game against Johnson which ended with a Raider defeat with a close final score of 2-1. However, the team was able to come back two days later with a 5-2 victory over Watchung Hills. Since then, the team has seen defeat from Bridgewater-Raritan, Voorhees, and Warren Hills. This past Saturday, the Raiders won a home game against Ridge with a final score of 5-2.

Clearly, the team has gone back and forth with wins and losses so far, but with new energy in both players and coaches in the program, there’s no telling how the rest of the season will play out.

Although the team suffered losses of talented seniors from last year’s team, both the players and coaches feel confident that the underclassmen have the ability to fill their shoes.

“Nicole Fortunato is a junior midfielder who has shown such improvement in the last couple of years and is a key player on the field,” Puritz said. “Payton Altman is a sophomore forward that has tremendous skill; she is going to be one to watch over the next few years.”

But the team would be incomplete without its representation of the freshmen who, according to some of the upperclassmen, have a lot to offer.

“Emily Chu definitely stands out to me this year,” senior Stephanie Wickman said. “She has grown dramatically as a player and is now one of our top defenders.”

Wickman also spoke out about the impressive chemistry and companionship that has formed amongst the teammates in such a short period of time, a sentiment that has been consistent in both players’ and coaches’ opinions.

“This year the entire program is very tight-knit,” Wickman said. “Everyone has bonded within the first month of the season and we truly all have become closer friends.”

What will BFH achieve this year? Senior Mackenzie Kiernan has high hopes and, as well as the rest of the team, is keeping a positive and confident outlook on the season.

“Goals for the team this season are to stick together and play as a team,” Kiernan said. “As long as we play to our best potential and work together we can do so many great things.”