It was a wet and windy opener as the Whitehall and Easton field hockey teams played through a steady downpour last Friday as Whitehall withstood the elements and most of what the Red Rovers dished out offensively to start the year.

Unfortunately, once again Easton spoiled the Zephyrs start to begin the season, defeating them 2-0. Last year the Red Rovers bested the Zephs 9-0, but this year Whitehall’s defense made sure that they wouldn’t equal that output and emerged through the slugfest with Easton managing just those two tallies.

Head coach Jennifer Bodnar knew Friday’s game versus the Red Rovers was going to be a challenge for her young team. Easton was coming off a season in which they went 19-5 and played for a district title against Emmaus, finishing second.

While Easton may have the edge on paper, Bodnar said that they can’t control their tempo, or their attitude, or their effort. That was the message heading into the game and the Zephyrs trailed by just a goal heading into the break.

A large part of that was due to some solid defensive work led by goalkeeper Logan Bortz who turned away four shots in the first half, using two nice kick saves to keep the Rovers off the board. An Easton forward finally managed to blast a shot past her at the 8:19 mark of the first half.

Easton pressed the action in the first half, producing six corners. On one of those corners, Emily Wells raced to the top of the circle to mark the player who received the insert and blew up the play. She arrived just as the player had the ball on her stick, and Wells deftly stripped her of it to end the threat.

Wells was all over the field on Friday. Bodnar will use her versatility this season, employing her as a center/halfback.

While attacking in the offensive zone, Wells was looking to set up her teammates for scoring chances. Whitehall wasn’t able to get a shot on goal the entire first half, nor did they generate a corner opportunity, but Wells excelled in her role as the team’s center/halfback.

“We kind of put a lot on her,” said Bodnar. “She’s embracing that position and playing it really well.”

Bodnar also lauded the effort of Bortz who allowed just those two goals to a team that may well compete for another district title.

“Logan Bortz had a fantastic game,” said Bodnar. “I was super proud of our defense.”

Heading into the game, Bodnar was looking for her team to be competitive. They gave themselves scoring opportunities in the second half and kept the Rovers within striking distance the whole game. She also liked the way they were able to match Eason’s pace. And while it wasn’t a win, Bodnar believes the game will give them a lot of confidence moving forward, noting that they were able to hold their own with them.

If their defense keeps them in games like they did in the opener, Bodnar believes their offense will come around once their young forward line gains more experience. They managed to generate four offensive corners in the second half and four shots on goal. In the back, they’ll be able to rely on sound defense throughout the year, a defense that’s buttressed by good communication in the circle, the ability to mark offensive players, and staying active in the zone.

That will certainly be what they’ll need when they meet Emmaus this week.