The Whitehall field hockey team made both the EPC and District 11 playoffs this season.

Unfortunately, making it as a lower seed matched them up with some tough, high-seeded competition in the opening round of play.

The girls earned the 7th seed in the EPC playoffs, finishing 7-6 in the league and setting them up with a first round game against Nazareth, which they lost 3-1. Seeded the same for the district playoffs, the two teams would meet again with the Eagles earning a 6-0 victory this time.

“Our season was marked by memorable victories and challenging defeats, with significant contributions from our senior class,” said head coach Gabi Smith. “The leadership of Matisyn Derkacs, Olivia Fonzone, and Lydia Keppel was instrumental in many of our closely contested matches.”

The team finished 10-9 overall but had several close losses to teams that were seeded higher than them in both the EPC and District 11. They lost to Stroudsburg 3-1 and Parkland 2-1 as well as a 2-0 loss to Easton.

Whitehall was anchored by the defense this season. Smith said goalkeeper Lily Trocki made over 100 saves this season and, “kept use competitive in tight games.”

Trocki was supported by senior Emily Grol on defense.

The team will work on the offensive side of things this offseason.

“Offensively, we faced challenges in maintaining possession and creating scoring opportunities—areas we aim to strengthen during the offseason, focusing on one-on-one elimination skills and goal-scoring execution,” Smith said.

Kerigan Dreisbach led the team with 19 goals, while Lydia Keppel added 10, with strong support from Ava Kozak on the offensive unit.

Smith said three seniors are set to continue playing at the college level, “where their talents will undoubtedly shine.”

With the season over, Smith and the rest of the team will get to work on next season.

“Looking ahead, I’m eager to see our junior class step up to take on greater responsibilities,” Smith said. “While there’s room for improvement, I am confident that with consistent effort, we can refine our play and bring our best to every match next season.”