While setting records is certainly not routine, the Pacific women's field hockey team made it just that during the 2004 season by breaking five team records and tying two more. The Tigers ripped through the final games of the season, winning the last three conference games, three more to capture the NorPac title and a thrilling 1-0 overtime victory over Louisville to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Only a 2-1 overtime loss to fifth ranked Michigan ended Tigers' season prematurely.
The 2004 squad finished the NorPac Conference season at 4-2, losing only to a ranked California team twice during the season but defeating them when it mattered in the NorPac title game. Along the way the Tigers received a great deal of individual recognition as well.
Head coach Linda MacDonald was named the NFHCA West Region Coach of the Year as well as the NorPac Coach of the Year after collecting a school record 11 win in her seventh year. In only her second season, forward Vianney Campos (Guadalajara, Mexico) set school records for points and goals in a season and a career on the way to NFHCA All-West Region and NorPac Conference First Teams.
Success for the 2005 team hinges on Pacific's ability to remain consistent and fill gaps left by departing seniors.
"We just need to be consistent," said head coach Linda MacDonald. "We need to get ourselves in position to score and to finish games off."
The Tigers return six starters and 17 letterwinners as well as much of their leadership from the previous season including captains Campos and Michelle Manson (Encinitas, Calif.).
Scheduling expectations remain lofty as Pacific takes on perennial top 25 teams Syracuse, Michigan State and Iowa during the first week of the season and then looks forward to conference rival Cal in a battle for the NorPac title.
"A lot depends on our ability to play Stanford and Cal tough, while also dealing with a tough non-conference schedule," says MacDonald. "Winning the conference tournament is a priority. The players would all agree, that's the goal; getting that first round bye."
Campos, the school leader in goals and points, leads the offense with senior midfielder and NorPac Tournament MVP Laura Maurer (Fallbrook, Calif.) and junior midfielder Jen Chaney (Campbell, Calif.). Maurer and Chaney combined to score nine goals and 20 points.
The defense remains stingy as the Tigers return one of the NorPac conferences top defenders in Manson. Senior defenders Dana Walsh (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Kaily McGrath (Camarillo, Calif.) also look to shore up the defense as they combined for ten defensive saves last year. They will bolster a defense that allowed one goal or fewer in ten games last season and two goals or less in 16 of their 21 games. Pacific's defense will need to remain tough as the Tiger's field four new goalkeepers, none with NCAA experience.
Adding depth to an already strong team are ten freshman, many of which will see increasing playing time as the season progresses.
"We should have two or three freshman that will step in and play minutes," said MacDonald. "It all depends on how they make the adjustment to play at this level."
Two of those newcomers are freshman Danielle Neault (San Diego, Calif.) and Melissa McGhee (La Verne, Calif.) who adds a great deal of speed to the Tiger attack.
Once again the Tigers look forward to consistent play and stringing victories together in hopes of another NorPac Championship and a repeat berth in the NCAA Tournament.