Deacon Sports Xtra: Wake Forest Field Hockey Finding Groove at Midway Mark
9/27/2021 9:01:00 AM | Field Hockey, Les Johns
The No. 16 Demon Deacons have won four of its last six matches.
After losing hard-fought battles to No. 3 Iowa and No. 2 Michigan to start the season in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Iowa, the Wake Forest Field Hockey team has won four of its last six.
"We are adapting," Wake Forest coach Jen Averill said. "We saw early on what our deficiencies were, and really fundamentally stayed consistent in how we needed to approach those to be able to grow and learn from them.
"I think our ability to finish and our counter-defense early in the season were exposed. We adjusted to that. It's certainly helped us. But there's a big chunk of the season ahead that's going to be really educational for us. I hope we continue to have that rebound and resilience in ourselves."
One of the losses in that stretch was a 2-1 decision to Ohio State at Kentner Stadium in which the Deacs outshot the Buckeyes 21-8.
"Our ability to finish isn't because we don't have the talent to finish," Averill said. "We need smarter decisions and better positioning. Then the goals will take care of themselves. We're being a little short-sighted with our methodology and attention to detail.
"When we figure that out we can be an extremely threatening team. We're waiting for somebody to step up when really all of us need to step up and contribute. I love that we are ripping off 20-plus shots in a game, but we need to be more efficient with that."
The Demon Deacons are ranked No. 16 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Poll — the 31st-straight week of being ranked. They peaked at No. 9 last season.
"Statistically, we're dominating the charts and that's where you want to be," Averill said. "Those are just the nuances and the finer details of the game. Maybe in some of these other games the rest of the season we won't get as many opportunities, so maybe let's be a little more clinical. That's what we're learning about ourselves."
Michigan and Iowa are now ranked No. 1 and 2 respectively, and are a combined 18-0.
"Both (North) Carolina and Wake appreciate the value of playing that sort of competition (at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge) right off the bat," Averill said. "That will give you a strong indication of where you are, and where you need to grow and develop at the beginning part of the season. It was great competition. I have great respect for both those coaches and programs."
Wake Forest secured a perfect weekend during the fourth week of the season. The Deacs grabbed a 3-1 win at No. 17 Duke in their ACC season opener on Sept. 17 and claimed a 3-2 home victory over No. 21 UMass on Sept. 19. Wake Forest junior Meike Lanckohr earned ACC Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Deacs with three goals combined in the two victories. Wake Forest has outshot their opponents a combined 113-47 in the last six games.
"I feel like the first weekend was hard for us," Lanckohr said. "They were great teams, and we still needed time with each other. But it's going well. Last weekend (Sept. 17-19) got us all excited. We know if we press them hard, we'll come away with the ball and our fast breaks are really good. It's just working to reach this level each weekend."
Assimilating seven freshmen into the mix with a large group of returning upperclassmen has given Averill and her staff more flexibility in lineup building this season.
"We have a younger group mixed with an older group, and I've had a different lineup for five of the last seven games," Averill said. "That's new for Wake Forest. We typically don't have the luxury of having such depth. We're really excited about the talent we retained and the talent that came in. There's plenty of opportunities for us to see who fits in well and where, and continue to encourage that."
As conditions have allowed, the program has returned to a bit of normalcy from the restrictions last year that didn't allow them to bond off the field.
"I really want to compliment the squad," Averill said. "During the summer, we brought a lot of kids back for summer school. That created an unbelievable environment for them to get to know each other. That also helped get the strength and conditioning piece started.
"Then the upperclassmen just did a great job of welcoming the group. They got to know them and helped push them along. Step up to the plate and let's see what you've got."
While last year's schedule was completely composed of ACC opponents, the Deacs do face four conference foes in the final eight games of the season. All seven teams in the ACC are currently ranked.
"What a privilege that was, to just day-in and day-out focus on ACC opponents," Averill said about last season. "That put us in a good position this year in knowing how challenging RPI-wise, this schedule would be. From here on out, there are a number of worthy opponents on the road and at home.
"My priority is to keep the group and the staff focused on what is in front of us. We'll be super-excited for each opponent. We're excited to roll out for sure each night to play games. Some of these opponents, there's rockstar goalkeepers, but that's what we're going to face in the ACC. So we're excited about the level of competition we've faced."
