Goal!

After a lackluster first half of field hockey, Southern Virginia University scored the first goal of the game.

Spirits were down, but the Panther crowd kept the energy going.

Nerves were high, and Ferrum was a point behind.

It took only 10 minutes.

In that time, Mackenzie Humphreys, freshman, scored her first and second collegiate field hockey goals for the Panthers, bringing the team from behind to edge out SVU 2-1.

“I was very nervous and scared that I was going to mess up,” she said.

Fear, however, didn’t seem to be an issue.

And exactly a 1 minute and 18 seconds later, happiness erupted on the field and from the stands as Humphreys scored her second goal, with an assist from Brianna Coerper, a senior on the team.

“It was very exciting, because I have not played field hockey in a year,” Humphreys said.

Humphreys was born and raised in Stafford, VA.

She is a double major in Agricultural Sciences with an agribusiness emphasis and crop sciences emphasis. Like many, she is not sure what she wants to do after school.

“I’ve always dreamed of playing Field Hockey in college, and my dream has finally came true,” Humphreys said.

Humphreys is a family oriented person and is very close with her mom and her two younger brothers. Her extended family all live close to her, and every Sunday they have a big family dinner.

The first game coming into season sets the tone for the season ahead even coaches can feel restless moments before a game, especially your first season as head coach.

“A recruit was here and I told her mom that Mackenzie has been working very hard and scoring goals at practice,” Chardonnay Hope Head Field Hockey Coach stated, “I told her that I feel like Mackenzie is going to score a goal today.”

Failure was not an option for Humphreys because she had a vision and two goals.

Humphreys’ goals has everyone keeping an eye on her expecting her to have a great season ahead.

“She set the bar pretty high, and everyone expects her to show up and show out” Olivia Turner sophomore and teammate said.