It may not be shocking that Liberty's field hockey season came to an end last week at Whitehall, as the Zephyrs used a hat-trick from Cara Bonshak to knock Liberty out of the postseason following a 4-0 victory.

But for Hurricane boss Mary Kate Omdahl, there is plenty of promise in the tank heading into next year.

Liberty loses nine seniors to graduation, three of which found themselves playing major minutes for the team this year. That leaves a sizable returning group coming back next season with the hopes of improving this year's 8-11 overall record.

"Eight starters return next year, three of which were freshmen that started varsity for almost the entire season," said Omdahl in reference to freshmen Eleni Prodes, Lucy Kitch-Peck and Olivia Sahaydak. "I will also be returning Jalen Wilcher (backfield), Charlynet Colon (forward), Anissa Abboud (forward) and goalie, Sophie Kitch-Peck. Because of our youth I think they bring a lot of enthusiasm to the table and are eager to learn and do what it takes to grow the team. I'm excited to move forward with this group and looking forward to seeing the talent coming in from the middle schools."

Finishing 8-8 in East Penn Conference play helped qualify Liberty for the postseason, which will certainly help speed up the maturation process for this young 'Canes team heading into next season.

"We talked a lot towards the end of the season about the improvements and changes that we made," Omdahl said. "We discussed the importance of beginning next season at this level and to continue to grow from there and not start from square one again. To do this, it is going to take dedication to staying fit and improving skills in the off-season. I think in a time when our kids are being pulled in a million different directions, this is tough. Most of my kids are involved in multiple activities at school in addition to being top students, so it takes good time management. It is a balancing act."

One that Omdahl hopes can balance in her favor.

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