The VCU Rams field hockey team came into Sunday’s game with Monmouth with a feeling that hasn’t been around Cary Street field in a while: confidence.
“We definitely came out with a good swagger . today we came out really strong and ready to go,” coach Kelly McQuade said.
After a 4-1 start to the season, the Rams played their home opener against Monmouth, and rolled to a 5-0 victory.
The first half was sloppy according to coach McQuade but the Rams were able to jump onto the scoreboard early.
With 26:23 left in the first half, freshman Kelsey Scherrer (Chesapeake) took a cross pass and whipped her fifth goal of the season past Monmouth goalkeeper Melissa Katz.
Scherrer did it again with just over six minutes left with a goal from just inside the circle. For her sixth goal of the season, this ties her for the team lead.
“She’s (Scherrer) great . that’s literally all you can say about her. She is a playmaker, she makes things happen and she can change the momentum of the game,” McQuade said.
Despite two goals in the first half, coach McQuade said the team played a sloppy half, and looked to come out strong in the second.
“During half time, Kelly (McQuade) was telling us that our intensity needed to get up and normally were really good at starting off a game . we kind of wanted to do that in the second half,” junior Marle Van Dessel (Oisterwijk, The Netherlands) said.
Van Dessel took her coaches’ word at half as she essentially took over the game in the second stanza.
Her first goal came at the 29:33 mark of the second half. Van Dessel took a pass off a penalty corner and snuck it past the keeper.
The junior would do it two more times in the 21 stminute and 18th minute, respectively.
The hat trick put Van Dessel in a tie with Scherrer for the team lead in goals on the season. And completed the rout of Monmouth, 5-0.
“It was a good team win,” Van Dessel said.
The Rams (5-1) begin conference play Friday at home against Delaware, game time is set for 6 p.m.
“I think they’ll be ready for it, mentally I think they will be psyched and ready to play,” coach McQuade said.