New Haven field hockey has struggled up to the the midpoint of their inaugural season. They are 0-6, and coming off the heels of their first goal in program history.

The Chargers are getting out shot 265-7 through six games, and they can’t seem to keep the ball in their offensive zone long enough to get any type of offense going. On the other hand, the Chargers defense has been the light throughout the season.

Freshman goalkeeper Natalie Shaker has accumulated 123 saves, which has led to a .732 save percentage. Shaker is ranked second in saves, eighth in save percentage and 14th in goals against average in the NE-10 conference. Freshman Maecy Chlebowski leads the team in goals with one, and is responsible for the first goal scored in program history.Chlebowski also leads the team in points with two.

With all the struggles the team has had throughout the year, the team has found positive in their losses.

“I think we’ve really started to bond and trust each other on and off the field. I think collectively we’ve agreed that what happens on the field stays on the field, so we are constantly learning from our mistakes and correcting them as we go along,” said senior Catherine Cinque.

The Chargers have frankly been out played this season, due to the fact that they don’t have the experience the other teams in the NE-10 have. They also have a lot of players who haven’t played field hockey on the collegiate level. The team is trying to combat their troubles, and also trying to get better on the field.

“We need to pick up the intensity. We tend to get in our own heads when we make mistakes and I think if we keep our heads up throughout the challenges we are going to have better results,” Cinque said.

Overall, the team has a lot of time to improve, it is only their first season and they have plenty of time to become a powerhouse like other university teams. With teams like Volleyball and Baseball winning NE-10 championships, Charger fans expect success from the get-go. In order to obtain success, one must absorb all the pain and suffering that goes along with it. In regard to the future of the field hockey team, the team seems to be in good hands.

“Coach has given us the tools we need, we just have to keep passing down the skills on and off the field,” said Cinque.

In their game on Thursday (Sept 28) under the lights of DellaCamara Stadium, the Chargers fell to the Pace Setters 6-0. The Chargers defense stood tall as they kept the setters out of the cage until the 20th minute of the first half.

During the second half, the defense held Pace to only seven shots and three penalty corners. Offensively, the Chargers had a lot of opportunities but couldn’t capitalize on any of their opportunities. Sophomore Ashley Higgins had a shot on goal off a penalty corner. Shaker continued her outstanding play by collecting 13 saves in the game. ]

The Chargers next home game is Oct. 4th as they host Adelphi at 7 p.m.