Girls varsity field hockey kicked off the season with a win and a tie, scoring 9-0 against Monta Vista and 2-2 against Carmel in their first non-league games.

After reaching the playoffs last season, the team moved up from the El Camino league to the De Anza league. Junior Sarah Thieman said that due to roster changes and a new division, the upcoming season will look very different from last year’s.

“We are playing much tougher schools this season, and it’s going to be difficult,” Thieman said. “We have a lot of new players and a new coach, but it is going really well so far, and I think we are going to do great.”

Thieman also said the new division will be challenging considering the overall inexperience of the players.

“I look forward to the competition, the level got a lot higher so we are going to be playing schools that have more established programs,” Thieman said. “We have a really young team, so we are still building that team chemistry, but I look forward to building a connection with all the players and the new coach.”

Senior Polina van Hulsen, one of the three captains, reflected on the new coach, Claire Doyle.

“Last year she was the JV coach, but our old coach went to graduate school, and she stepped in — It’s been great,” van Hulsen said.

Van Hulsen said she’s looking forward to seeing the lengths the team will go this year and taking the team’s game to another level.

“In all the preseason games, we have a winning streak, and practices are looking really good,” van Hulsen said. “We are getting to what it takes to be at the level that we need to be.”