Click here to read original article, written by Portland Press Herald Columnist Steve Solloway
The Monks are a threat in field hockey with the league playoffs just a couple of weeks away.
Theresa Hendrix looked at her fellow captains. She looked at the rest of her Saint Joseph's College teammates in the moments before the start of Tuesday's field hockey game against rival Husson.
It wasn't a time for speeches, said Hendrix. "For the juniors and seniors, nothing needed to be said. The younger girls looked at us and just knew. This was a big game."
It proved once more that game-time intensity doesn't require Friday Night Lights or the crowds of thousands seen at high school football games in Maine.
Husson has beaten Saint Joseph's when it matters most lately, in the North Atlantic Conference championship game. Tuesday, the Saint Joseph's players decided it was time to make a statement. They beat Husson 2-0, the largest margin in eight games stretching back to 2008.
"After the game (someone) said it was supposed to have been a close game on paper," said Carley Denis, a senior midfielder from Lewiston. "Games are never played on paper."
Saint Joseph's has three seniors and three juniors on its roster, with 13 underclassmen. The Monks are a young team, but one that wins.
They opened the season with an eight-game winning streak before losing two straight to Castleton State and Lasell to begin October. Saturday, Saint Joseph's beat Thomas, 2-0.
"We were on an eight-game high and the two losses made us see what we needed to work on," said Hendrix, a senior midfielder from Scarborough who attended Cheverus. "Coach (Rupert Lewis) is one of the most passionate coaches I've played for and it rubs off on us. He got us focused again on the small things and the fundamentals you need to do to win."
The Monks are 10-2 overall going into Thursday's nonconference game at Salem (Mass.) State. Their NAC record is 5-2.
Six of the 10 wins are shutouts with freshman Emma Astbury (Bridgewater, Vt.) in net.
"Our defense is so strong," said Denis. "It's a level of trust we have this year. If you have less skills and your team connects, you'll play better than if you have more skills but don't connect with each other. Emma has been awesome back there."
Rachelle Messuri (Atkinson, N.H.), another senior captain, leads the team in scoring with seven goals, six assists and 20 points. Effie Drew (Portland), a junior forward, has seven goals, three assists and 17 points.
Saint Joseph's has four games remaining before the conference quarterfinals begin Nov. 2. The Monks will leave the NAC after this season. The school is a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, which will offer a field hockey schedule for the first time next year.