Since The Hawk is unable to bring our readers typical sports coverage due to the coronavirus pandemic, we want to reflect on sports highlights from years past. This week’s edition highlights the elaborate history of field hockey at St. Joe’s, one of the schools’ most successful athletic programs of all time.
St. Joe’s field hockey played its first season on Hawk Hill in 1974 following a petition signed by hundreds of students which called for the expansion of women’s athletics on campus. While the team originally operated at the club level, interest among the student body was high and yielded a large number of athletes who wanted to join the new program.
Marianne Ritchie, The Hawk, 1974:
“Petitions signed by hundreds of students who see the value in expanding the women’s athletic program at St. Joseph’s have succeeded in bringing into existence the St. Joseph’s Women’s Field Hockey Club. In April of last semester, Father Michael Blee gave the okay to organize a team. Both a constitution and a budget has been approved, allocating sufficient funds for equipment and officials.”
After their first season on campus in 1975, the field hockey team was granted varsity status. Ellen Ryan, former women’s athletic coordinator and St. Joe’s Athletics Hall of Fame member, helped the team schedule games and purchase equipment.
At a time when collegiate athletics were not inclusive of women, field hockey played a key role in increasing female involvement in sports at St. Joe’s.
Raymond O’Brien, The Hawk, 1975:
“Women on the St. Joe’s campus can expect to receive a more equitable share in college athletic facilities due to a college council vote in favor of a proposal granting women equal treatment with men in the use of athletic facilities […] The suggestion stated the need for improved tennis courts, better security for the tennis courts and fieldhouse area, an assistant Athletic Director to assist with women’s athletics and an urgent need for regulation on [women’s] field hockey.”
After the induction of Title IX in 1972, the St. Joe’s field hockey team set the groundwork for what would become one of St. Joe’s most successful athletics programs. The squad rolled to five wins through their first six games of the 1975 season, which featured a 2-1 win over established rival Villanova University and a 6-0 shoutout against Big 5 member LaSalle University.
Throughout the years, field hockey has continued this winning tradition on Hawk Hill.
In 1986 the Hawks took down No. 17 Rutgers University in a hard fought 2-1 victory led by Linda Buonanno, the first First-Team All-American and one of three to achieve the honor in St. Joe’s field hockey history.
Michael Skelly, Hawk Sports Editor:
“St. Joseph’s University, the small Catholic school known for upsetting the giants in the past, pulled off another David and Goliath act Tuesday as the women’s field hockey team stunned 17th ranked Rutgers.”
In 1993, St. Joe’s played defending national champion Old Dominion University and lost by a score of 1-0. Despite their loss, the field hockey team’s resilience and strong defensive work kept the national champions at bay throughout the course of the game.
Peter Gancayco ’96, Assistant Sports Editor:
“This past Saturday, the St. Joseph’s field hockey team played nationally ranked and defending national champions Old Dominion […] Senior goalie Lisa Fasano played a marvelous game giving up only one goal while recording 10 saves. Seniors Jeannine Sweeney and Kristi Burke were the core of the SJU defensive wall that stymied the high powered ODU offense.”
More recently, St. Joe’s field hockey has seen the pinnacle of its success, winning the 2017, 2018 and 2019 Atlantic 10 (A-10) Field Hockey Championships and sending the team to three consecutive NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championships.
Throughout their historic three season run, the Hawks reached as high as a No. 10 national ranking going undefeated in the A-10 in both 2018 and 2019 and have consistently been among the ranks of the top 25 teams.
“The St. Joe’s field hockey team defeated Virginia Commonwealth University 1-0 in the Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Championship game on Nov. 3. Among the team’s achievements: three consecutive outright A-10 regular season championships, two consecutive A-10 tournament championships, currently ranked 10th overall in the country.”
With the long standing success of the St. Joe’s field hockey team and their rise to becoming an A-10 powerhouse, St. Joe’s is what many fans would call a “field hockey school.”
Lynn Farquhar, Head Coach, 2018:
“We are a program on the rise. We have had a great group of committed workers who have come in and some alums who have helped us start it. We are hoping to continue this trend […] We are in the heart of hockey. There is no reason why we couldn’t be a field hockey school.”
