Mules field hockey took on the Moravian University Greyhounds on their home turf this past Saturday, Sept. 7. The Mules were able to add a new trophy to their cabinet, one which was given to the winner of the Mule and Greyhound matchup in their long Lehigh Valley rivalry. The home-field advantage brought the magic to the Mules as they were able to pick up their first win of the 2024 season after previously falling to Scranton (2-1) and Alvernia (5-3). The Mules are hopeful to keep up playing quality minutes as the season continues.
Reflecting on the preseason, Co-Captain Greta Marchildon ‘26 said, “This preseason was the best. It allowed time for our team to focus on getting to know each other with nine new girls joining the team for this season. We needed that time to connect on a personal level and learn how each new player brings something to the table. All summer we focused on strength and conditioning, keeping our weights up as well as pushing ourselves in running drills.”
Co-Captain Erin DiSandro ‘26 also mentioned how important forming team chemistry is for the field hockey team. “The team chemistry is the best it’s ever been in my opinion. Team bonding is a priority for our team, and we really focus on building that team chemistry off the field. We are all each other’s best friends, and I think that awesome team chemistry off the field is what is going to help us be successful this season.”
Against the Greyhounds, the Mules dominated in shots, with Moravian only taking 3 (2 on goal) while the Mules took 19 (8 on goal). Abba Diglio ‘26 broke open the scoring in the first quarter. DiSandro was on fire as she took 6 shots, 2 shots on goals and 2 goals in the home opener. Mikayla DeMichele ‘25 also had a lot of action during this game with 5 shots, 2 shots on goal and a goal. These efforts have helped the Mules score in all four quarters of the game.
Marchildon provided some intel on how the game went for the Mules: “In this game, we finally connected as a team. In the first two games, we were nervous, playing more frantically without smart communication. For this Saturday, we came together as one unit. I think the game went exactly how we practiced, we stayed humble but hungry for every ball.”
She also spoke on the value of having home advantage and the excitement they felt to play the rivals: “Going into any game we know it will be a battle,” said Marchildon. “We are in a super competitive conference and out-of-conference play is just as competitive. Moravian is a different battle; however, they have been a consistent rivalry for decades which makes playing them even more exciting. Having home-field advantage is everything. We have our normal locker room, no wasted time sitting on a bus, we know our training staff well and we get to listen to our playlist while warming up, making the entire experience more relaxed, like a regular day at Muhlenberg. This team thrives off tradition and routine, and being at home allows us to follow that.”
DiSandro is looking towards the future as she is thinking about aspects the team is really trying to improve on in the upcoming season. “I think we need to work on our spacing across the field and recovery defense. We have been having huge gaps between our lines making it easier for the opponent to have fast breakaways. We also need to work on channeling the ball as we recover on defense and not giving up as soon as we lose the ball. Those second and third efforts are important, and I think they are what is going to help us win close games.” The Mules are looking forward to the rest of their season, which will continue on Saturday, Sept. 14 when they host Utica University at 1:00 p.m. in Scotty Wood Stadium.