Dan Sherman
Asst. SID
Juniata
814-641-3513
Huntingdon, Pa., Juniata College Field Hockey finished the 2013 season with a 9-11 record and a semifinal loss to the eventual conference champion Catholic. In 2014, the team would improve on that record and avenge their playoff loss from the previous year.
The 2014 Juniata field hockey team is one of the finest in program history. This group proved to be one of the most relentless, competitive, resilient teams to ever don the blue and gold. These Eagles showed how much grit and heart they had time and again. This group of young women played in three overtime and six double overtime games, earning the nickname the "Cardiac Kids". Six of those overtime games came in a single month, with three of those double overtime games occurring during the final week of Landmark Conference play. Juniata finished the season with a 15-6 record. Of the team's 15 wins, 11 were decided by one goal. Discussing the way her team battled all season, head coach Caroline Gillich stated, "This is one of the toughest JCFH teams that we have had in a long time. They kept coming back again and again."
Juniata's season came to an end in the "Sweet 16"round of the NCAA tournament. The Eagles had one of the toughest schedules in the country. At the end of the season, Juniata had a #6 strength of schedule, #19 ACR, #14 RPI. The team scored 40 goals and allowed 28, going 5-2 against conference rivals to earn the third seed in the Landmark Tournament. This set the team up for a showdown at Elizabethtown in the conference semifinals. The Blue Jays had ended Juniata's eight game winning streak and handed them their first conference loss all season in a 1-0 contest on homecoming. The Eagles avenged that loss, battling through their second double overtime game of the week and defeated Elizabethtown 2-1 to advance to the conference championship game. Awaiting them in the Landmark title game was Catholic. The Cardinals knocked Juniata out en route to their third straight conference title in 2013. The team was seeking revenge and got more than that, winning their fifth Landmark Conference title at Catholic in a 1-0 double overtime thriller.
Seniors
The 2014 Eagles were led by a strong group of senior veterans whose presence will be greatly missed and hard to replace in 2015. Gillich waxed about her seniors following the season. The coach will greatly miss this senior class. The team was fortunate enough to have two senior goalkeepers who could give anyone in the conference a run for their money. Shelby Miller (Pottstown, PA / Owen J. Roberts) and Julianne Jones (Middleburg, PA / Midd-West) started the season splitting time in the cage. Miller missed some time due to illness and Jones was asked to step up. She more than answered the call, finishing as the top goalie in the conference and one of the best in the nation. Jones was one of three Eagles to earn 1st team All-Conference honors and was named a Synapse Sports Third-Team All-American. Gillich spoke briefly about her two keepers after the season, "Julianne Jones emerged as a powerful keeper and one of the best in the country. She grew tremendously during her time at Juniata. Shelby Miller was a four-year player for us in goal, getting time each season against top opponents. She is a great teammate and pushed our team in practices to be their best, always giving everything she had each day." She noted how much the team would miss their presence in the cage in 2015, stating that they "will be difficult to lose as leaders and net minders." Fellow seniors Tori Buser (Allentown, PA / Parkland) and team captain Kortney Showers (Aspers, PA / Biglerville) will also be missed.
Buser was force on defense all four years and came up with several crucial defensive saves late in the Eagles run to a championship. "Tori is the only four year starter in her class. She is a player and person that everyone can talk to on the field and off. She played nearly every minute of every game over the past four years, providing a steady and consistent presence that will be greatly missed."
Showers possesses the type of skills that personify a team leader, making her another player that will be hard to replace in 2015. "Kort is the rare player and leader that everyone looks up and listens to. She works her hardest and will find a way to dig deeper and give more anytime you ask for it. Her leadership, work ethic and joy for the game made such an impact on this program. She led her team to win the Conference Championship in her senior year."
Fellow midfielder Mikaela Sloan (State College, PA / State College) was another player that was crucial to the team's success during her four years in Huntingdon. "Mikaela is a spark in our unit wherever we need to put her. We could always count on her for her speed and tenacity to change the tide in our favor. She can blow past opponents with the ball and create openings in our offensive game with her quick passing. She was part of our corner unit the past couple of years and could put an immense amount of pressure on the initial shot because of her quickness."
Returners
Despite losing a core group of veterans, this year's junior class provides a strong group that has what it takes to step up and fill the void. Along with Buser and Jones, Kelsey Leibelsperger (Fleetwood, PA / Fleetwood) was a major defensive force for Juniata. She is considered one of the toughest defenders to beat in the conference, earning First-Team All-Conference honors. "If it weren't for her, our keepers would have to face twice as many shots. Her sheer determination is what makes her and her team so great. She puts her heart and soul into every drill and every game. She simply doesn't know how to give anything less than 100%."
Alex Stroud (Ellicott City, MD / Centennial) was another member of the class of 2016 to play a large role on defense. Stroud "brought her game to the next level this year as a junior and our starting left back. Anything you ask of her she will work to do and I am excited to see what another year of growth does for this player. She became one of our most consistent forces on defense this year, having to handle the speed and strength of our opponent's right side of the field."
Fellow junior and First-Team All-Conference selection Sarah Bilheimer (Bethlehem, PA / Freedom) led the team on offense finishing fourth in the Landmark in goals scored and tied for first in assists. Her 10 goals and eight assists both led the team in 2014. Bilheimer scored her first collegiate hat trick and had several game tying or winning goals during the season. She came up clutch time and again when her team needed a score and was a major factor in the team's success this season. "She is a lethal attacker with speed and tenacity to go at it time and again. No matter what the other team dishes out she finds a way and is relentless to help her team on offense and defense. Her vision, creativity, and speed is what makes her an amazing attacker, not to mention her tremendous stick skills. She earned Second-Team All-Region this year and is our most highly decorated player that is returning." Bilheimer is one of the program's all-time leaders in points scored.
Allison Groft (Hanover, PA / South Western) was second on the team in goals scored and assists. Just like Bilheimer, her fellow forward, Groft scored timely goals for Juniata this season, stepping up when the moment called for it. Groft had an assist on the double-overtime golden goal that won the championship for the Eagles. "Alli is as close to a quarterback as you can get. I am excited to continue to grow as a leader and a person. She and Sarah led the team in scoring and assists. The two of them combined for over half of our team's total points this year." Groft earned Second-Team All-Conference recognition this year, her first honors as a collegiate player.
The sophomore class will also be relied upon in 2015 as the team looks to repeat as champions. Gillich stated, "This class greatly improved alongside teammates and a team that took it to the next level. They continue to learn the game and gained a new level of confidence in practices and in game play. They provided six goals and a great energy. We will look for this class to emerge on the field as juniors as they are bursting with talent and expect they will add greatly to our scoring and offensive opportunities."
Katie Alexander was the third leading scorer on the team this season as the lone freshman starter. The forward was named the MVP of the Landmark Conference Championship game and earned Synapse Sports All-Rookie team honors. Her coach described the freshman class as "filled with talent, speed, and great energy. They absolutely supported this team and their teammates in the best way possible. They were always ready to do their jobs and kept a light heart about them off the field. We saw an amazing improvement in this class already. They were pushed hard for three months at the collegiate level and they are reaping the rewards of that hard work.
Season Highlights
10/11- Eagles Go Streaking
Juniata defeated Moravian 1-0 in Bethlehem, Pa. to push their winning streak to eight games. Brittany Meier (Pennsylvania Furnace, PA / State College Area) scored her fifth goal of the season on a penalty stroke with 1:58 left in regulation to clinch the victory and keep the streak alive. Jones and Miller combined to shutout the Greyhounds as Juniata moved to 10-2, 3-0 to start the season.
10/4 - Rise of the "Cardiac Kids"
After losing back-to-back overtime games early in the season, the Eagles got their first win in extra time against Scranton in the first of many thrilling victories. Jones made an at the time career high 10 saves. The Royals spent most of the game in the Juniata zone, getting off 10 shots on 10 corners in a span of 14 minutes. Jones and the defense kept the team in the game long enough for Bilheimer and the offense to seal the victory. Bilheimer scored with 1:58 left in regulation to send the game to overtime. Alexander found Groft who scored the game winner five minutes into the second overtime. Gillich said afterwards, "It wasn't our most technical, tactical game, but it came down to mental toughness and being able to find a way to keep the ball out until we were able to find a way to click on offense."
11/12 - Juniata Hosts 1st Round of NCAA Championship Tournament
The Eagles hosted the first round of the 2014 NCAA Division III Championship tournament, playing against Gwynedd-Mercy for the first time in program history. Juniata struggled, but scored two goals, just over one minute apart, in the final 12 minutes of the game to take a 2-1 lead it would not relinquish. The win put the team in the Sweet 16, for the first time since 2007 when the Eagles made it to the Elite Eight. Said the coach, "It was a battle of a game. Having played three overtime games last week, it definitely showed a little bit early on. The girls were not quite firing on all cylinders. In the second half we were a little bit stronger and then scoring those back-to-back goals was kind of complete insanity, it flipped the game on its head. It made us realize how much we really do want this. So what if we're tired, so what if we're exhausted, so what if we think we have nothing left to give, we do. That this is so worth it and we really want this. I think that really invigorated us and woke us up to the fact that we had to find a way to win this game and we did. We buckled down on defense towards the end. I think it was one of the first times on defense we faced a lot of corners at the end of the game and shut them down. In the past, we've had that and have gone into overtime, but not today. We were able to hold them off long enough to run the clock out, but kudos to them. They came out hard and fast, and played probably one of their best games all year. Fortunately, we were able to put it all together."
11/5 - Eagles Get the Last Laugh
Elizabethtown defeated the Eagles 1-0 on homecoming on a questionable goal. Juniata knew that had they won that game, they would have been hosting a playoff game instead of the Blue Jays and were seeking revenge. The two teams remained tied 1-1 after regulation, as the Eagles played in their second double overtime game in four days. Bilheimer dribbled through the Elizabethtown defense as the Blue Jays goalie came out to meet her. The forward took a no-look, backhanded shot, flipping the ball into the air, over the six-foot goalie in front of her, and into the cage for a 2-1 victory. With the win, the team punched their ticket to a championship showdown with Catholic.
11/2-11/8 Eagles Win Battle of the Birds
The Eagles hosted the Cardinals in their final game of the regular season. It was Senior Day in Knox Stadium and the class of 2014 was itching for their first win against Catholic. The game marked the sixth time all season the Eagles played in a double overtime game. Juniata defeated the Cardinals when Bilheimer scored the game winner after 95 minutes of play. After starting their week with a win over rival, the Eagles repeated, ending the week with a win in the Landmark Championship. Juniata defeated the Cardinals for the fifth Landmark title in program history, with all five coming at Catholic. The win also gave coach Gillich the 200th of her career. The coach said after the game, "Just to share the field with each one of these women and to watch them battle through everything that they did and come out victorious. What an exciting day, such an exciting week." She added about the game, "we played in three double overtime games in seven days. We beat Elizabethtown in the semis and won our Conference Championship in a game and a week we will never forget."
Speaking of the season overall, coach Gillich said that this season was a success, not just because of the conference championship, but because "our players really came out and believed in themselves, their teammates and their coaches. The telltale sign of a successful season is never wanting it to end…and I know that is how we felt all year." It will be difficult for Juniata to duplicate the success they had this season and repeat as champions in 2015, but there is no denying that the talent is there. This is a team that gained a tremendous amount of experience and proved that they are a team of will. "We learned and lived some amazing truths about adversity, toughness, focus, and will that transcends hockey and will be something they draw on for a lifetime. What a great gift. We also found things that we need to continuously monitor and work on, as well as new areas for improvement." Only time will tell how this team will improve and what the 2015 season will bring. For now, there is time for the coach to reflect on this special group of women, "I am so proud of this team and these players, that give it everything they have and more to be great student-athletes. They represent the best of Juniata and Division III athletics. I am honored to get to work with them year in and out, helping to develop them as players, people, teammates, and leaders."
