The Maverick field hockey team seeks to defend their Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) title this season. The chance came earlier than expected, as the reigning champions played against – and defeated – many SPC teams this past weekend.

Fresh off a resounding 5-0 win over the Episcopal Knights, Mavericks field hockey traveled to The Hockaday School in Dallas to compete in a low-stakes, round robin tournament, the weekend of Sept. 9.

The tournament gave the team a chance to bond and primed them for more challenging opponents.

“All the new people meshed well. We had a lot of fun and made a lot of inside jokes,” senior captain Grace Wilson said.

This year, three sophomores (Jaya Krishnan, Amélie Perrier and Amy Worscheh), and one freshman, Sinclair Mott, made the team.

“Our friendship outside of games is part of what helps us do so well on the field,” freshman Sinclair Mott said.

The girls played scrimmage games against each North Zone team: All Saints’ Episcopal, Casady, Episcopal Dallas, Fort Worth Country Day, Greenhill, Oakridge, Hockaday and Trinity Valley.

“We got to play against the North Zone teams, which we normally don’t get to do until we’re at SPC. It was a great chance to get our feet wet,” head coach Sam Chambers said.

The SPC champions played eight games total, winning seven and losing the eighth in a close game against Greenhill. Half of the games were played with only seven players per team with 20 minute halves, as opposed to the standard 40 minute halves with 11 players on each team.

“We played aggressively, and our movement is getting better,” sophomore Natalie Stone said.

JV and JV2 also went to Dallas to compete against North Zone teams, occasionally even competing against their varsity teams.

“It was an incredible atmosphere,” JV coach Eleanor Cannon said. “[There was] so much positive energy and players enjoying the sport. The level of competition was very high. Not only did the Mavericks play very well, but each and every player also improved in meaningful ways over the course of the nine games. It was field hockey at its best.”

JV played 9 games total, finishing the tournament with an overall record of 6-2-1. The team scored 18 goals, while only allowing seven, most of which were scored by Greenhill’s varsity team. JV2 went 4-2-2 at the tournament.

Varsity and JV2 will next be playing away games against the Kinkaid School teams on Sept. 20. JV will be playing Lamar at home the same day.