The Muhlenberg women’s field hockey team faced more than just pre-game anxiety. On Saturday, Oct. 21, the players faced Washington College at the home of the Mules. Unfortunately, in Washington’s pursuit to get to Allentown, Pa., they encountered enormous traffic. As a result, the 1:00 p.m. game was delayed until 6:00 p.m.
Midfielder Devon Eastlack ‘25, commented on the game delay. “The five hour delay definitely was a big factor affecting the team. One main focus was to keep everyone’s mind in the right mode and staying focused, even in the uncertainty of whether the game was still going to happen that day. I think we did a great job of staying focused and keeping everyone accountable for doing so during the waiting period. I don’t think the game delay affected the team in a negative way and we were all very happy with the outcome.”
The team persevered through the time delay and leaned on their family and friends for support. Mikayla DeMichele ‘25 commented, “We made sure to fuel up at the dining hall and I personally spent time with my family before heading to the locker room around 4:15 [p.m.]. The team definitely stayed focused and locked in for the game.” In turn, their energy and mindset going into the game was unwavering.
In the end, the delay and cold weather did not affect the Mules in the slightest. Muhlenberg beat Washington College 3-0, adding a win to their record. Two of the goals were scored by Abba Diglio ‘26, and the last goal was scored by Zabelle Aslanian ‘25 in the fourth quarter. Eastlack gave praise to Diglio in stating, “She definitely stood out. Diglio had two of our goals and was the spark we needed.” In addition, Eastlack recognized other players’ hard work, “[Diglio] and Erin Disandro ‘26 are the leading point scorers in the conference! Another recognizable player is Maddie Schwartz ‘27. She’s really stepped up to become our starting goalie and has been improving with every game and practice, recording two shutouts in the last three games.” These individuals, along with the team’s combined effort, pushed the girls to finish strong till the last whistle.
In the last few games of regular season play, the team is focused on their conference performance. DeMichele said, “We are currently focusing on finishing out our last two conference games strong and leaving everything on the field. With that, we are doing the best we can to make it into the playoffs, but it all really depends on how the other teams perform as well. It honestly comes down to the very last day of conference play and the very last game. It is anyone’s game on any given day! We have to be mentally and physically strong and channel our teamwork in order to find success!”
She continues about the team’s energy for the rest of the season, “We are absolutely excited and ready to finish out the regular season with two more wins. I think we are more than capable and prepared to show everyone what exactly ‘Berg Hockey is! I have never seen more hard work, discipline and dedication from a team!” It is very evident that the future of this team is bright, and their spirit is positive in moving into the end of their regular season play.
Ultimately, the Muhlenberg field hockey team translates all of their hard work from practice into game play. This game mentally and physically tested the players on Saturday and they successfully passed to win one of their last home games this season.
