LEHMAN TWP. – The Abington Heights field hockey team is trying to shake its way out of a losing streak as it heads to the final two weeks of the regular season.

A series of injuries and illnesses coincided with a demanding stretch in the schedule for the Lady Comets, who were overwhelmed, 9-0, in a Monday night game at Lake-Lehman, the unbeaten leader of Division 3 of the Wyoming Valley Conference.

“I think we anticipated that there was going to be this lull in the season,” Lady Comets coach Amy Wojcik said after the team suffered its fourth straight loss. “There have been some significant injuries.”

The Lady Comets opened the WVC season with three straight wins before dropping their four most recent conference games by a total of 32-1. They were 5-3 after winning a non-league game over Elk Lake, 4-1, before also losing their last four games overall.

Lake-Lehman dominated Monday’s games, holding Abington Heights to just one shot and not allowing any penalty corners. The Black Knights, who reached the state quarterfinals a year ago, opened an 8-0 lead at halftime.

“They’ve always been a tough team,” Wojcik said of Lake-Lehman, “but I feel like in the last year or two, they’ve really taken it to another level.”

Abington Heights has reversed a losing trend once already this season while finding its own new level of competitiveness.

Before the strong start to this season, the Lady Comets had gone 5-77 in WVC play in the previous six seasons. They were a combined 2-50 with four straight last-place finishes from 2011-14, but were still tied for second out of five teams in Division 2 prior to Monday night’s defeat.

The improved play shown early has given the coach hope that more wins are ahead this season.

“We just worked really beautifully as a team,” Wojcik said. “Everybody was coming together. The ball was getting passed around. It wasn’t about one star player.”

Abington Heights’ Schuyler Smith dribbles the ball away from Lehman defenders.
https://www.theabingtonjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_abington_ll1_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgAbington Heights’ Schuyler Smith dribbles the ball away from Lehman defenders. Fred Adams | For Abington Journal

Jessie Show, left, tries to block Lehman’s Makayla Adams advance on the ball.
https://www.theabingtonjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_abington_ll2_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgJessie Show, left, tries to block Lehman’s Makayla Adams advance on the ball. Fred Adams | For Abington Journal

Abington Heights Arla Davis tries to get the ball past the Lehman defenders.
https://www.theabingtonjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_abington_ll3_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgAbington Heights Arla Davis tries to get the ball past the Lehman defenders. Fred Adams | For Abington Journal
Despite losing streak, Lady Comets working together to improve as a team

By Tom Robinson

For Abington Journal

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