With Whitehall bursting out of the gate with two wins to start the 2016 field hockey season, head coach Jennifer Bodnar knows that they weren’t as sharp as she would have liked, and that’s something they’ll continue to work on as the season progresses.

While she was glad they won both games, Tuesday’s 3-0 victory against Nazareth was a game in which they had too many missed opportunities.

“We’re not where we want to be,” said Bodnar.

Both wins came against conference opponents, with the Zephyrs defeating Northampton 4-1 in the opener. That was followed by their game against the Blue Eagles, with both squads providing good tests for Whitehall, who now gets ready for Emmaus on Thursday.

Bodnar said that both the Kids and Eagles are good teams, but they still needed to shore up some things, especially when they’re on the attack. Scoring goals for the Zephs against Nazareth were Kassidy Cunningham, who had two goals, and Cara Bonshak, who tallied her first of the season. That gives Whitehall four different players who have found the back of the cage so far this season, a testament to their balanced attack.

While the offense may not have been crisp, their defense was superb. She said that while they have a young squad in terms of varsity starting experience, they play well as a group. And having a player the caliber of Rachel Schannauer on the back line gives them a veteran presence that’s hard to match.

“Our defense is getting better and better,” she said.

Leading the charge is goalkeeper Kayla Nailor. Bodnar said that the senior has embraced her role as a leader, and has become a vocal leader as well. She is communicating to her teammates and that’s one of the reasons why they’ve only allowed one goal so far this season.

“She is doing a great job doing that,” said Bodnar.

Bodnar said that she’s seen the growth with her young defense, and that they definitely got tested against Northampton. In that game, Nailor made seven saves.

That game paved the way for their defensive stranglehold against the visiting Eagles.

“Anytime you can achieve a shutout is a win for our defense,” said Bodnar.

Their next opponent is Emmaus and Bodnar knows it will be a big challenge when they meet the defending state champs. Her goal is to stay competitive and learn from the game. She said it gives them a chance to see where they are early in the season, and they’ll look to give the Hornets a tough battle on their home turf.

Playing the Green Hornets this early is a bit rough, but they’ll meet them again later this fall and hopefully in the postseason. That’s when they’ll have a better understanding of who they are as a team, and the best ways to attack to champs.

“We’re going to try and gain as much momentum and experience as we can,” said Bodnar.