The Whitehall field hockey team left J. Birney Crum Stadium yesterday with a win, gaining a stronger grip on a playoff berth as they head into their final game of the season.

Right now they sit in the eighth spot with a 4-6 mark. Their final game is against Lehighton who is out of the playoff picture with a 4-9-1 record. It appears their position is safe among the 3A schools, and a win against Lehighton would certainly advance their cause.

The Zephs defeated the Canaries 6-0 on Monday. Head coach Jennifer Bonder said that while it wasn’t the prettiest win, they still were able to set up enough goals to emerge with the victory.

Even with that shutout, she believes there’s room for improvement.

“It’s been a challenging season, I think with the level of uncertainty from the beginning of the season,” said Bodnar, noting that the season was shut down almost as soon as it started, contributing to a roller coaster of emotions for everyone involved.

With the finish line in sight, Bodnar said that they’re looking directly at what’s in front of them since the uncertainty still looms.

“What we’re trying to focus on at the end of the season is showing up ready to play, and kind of play every game like it’s our last,” she said.

That’s the message moving forward amid all the uncertainty.

“We want them to put all the distractions of the outside world behind them, and show up and be focused for sixty minutes tomorrow,” she said.

The win against Allen was highlighted by a number of good plays. In the second half, the Zephs got an outstanding effort from freshman forward Ava Demjan. Demjan forced a turnover deep in their defensive end, and then raced down the near side with the ball, eventually winding up in front of the net as everyone raced to join the action. She got a couple of whacks at the ball, allowing teammate Jasmin Abdalla to knock home the rebound for the score.

Bodnar said that Demjan has been a spark plug this year. She said that the freshman has logged quite a few varsity minutes.

While she is playing against more experienced players whose skill sets reflect that experience, Bonder said that Demjan isn’t fazed by the competition.

“She is just tenacious,” said Bodnar. “She just hustles and does not have a stop button, which is really refreshing to see. It’s that level of aggression and determination she brings every single day.”

She said her play has inspired the upperclassmen to pick up their game as well.

On the defensive end, the Canaries looked poised to get off a good shot midway through the second half when the ball was on the stick of one of their forwards who found herself alone in front of the cage. However, defender Brielle Schrey put her stick flat on the ground, disrupting the scoring opportunity. The junior made a number of stops along the back line.

“Brielle’s just been solid,” said Bodnar. “She’s probably been one of our most consistent defenders. She’s just a patient defender who does a lot of things right.”

Bodnar said that she’s challenged Shrey to become more of a vocal leader on the back line, and the junior has responded in that role.

Maddie Steiner also made an impact, assisting on a second half goal as the Zephs extended their lead to 5-0. Bodnar said that Steiner has been consistent this season along the forward line and is looking to get better every day.