One or both of the following must be true:

A: Battlefield has stacked the deck on its varsity field hockey team with experience that will be hard for any team to rival.

B: Kettle Run has already outperformed expectations by sounding defeating Battlefield.

Scrimmages only really matter in terms of testing the conditioning and accuracy of players as opposed to wins and losses, yet the Cougars came out sharp against the Bobcats last Friday in Nokesville.

The home team topped the Haymarket squad from Haymarket 7-1 under an intense high-noon sun shield. Battlefield sports 14 seniors compared to five for Kettle Run.

According to KRHS coach Joanie DeGoosh, seniors Jensen Reigel and Ellie Szwejkowski are set to play integral roles to the team this season, with the latter starting as the team's goalie.

DeGoosh mentioned her goal keeper recorded at least five saves against Battlefield while providing a "tough" presence in front of the Kettle Run net.

"She's like a natural at it," said DeGoosh of Szwejkowski, who earned an honorable mention on the Group AA all-state team in 2010

As for Reigel, who also earned all-state honors as a midfielder in 2010, DeGoosh explained that her superior downfield vision and player smarts helps her guide her shots and led passes.

"The way she reads the field, reads her opponents and moves accordingly" is what separates her, said DeGoosh.

Meanwhile for Battlefield, head coach Margaret Power explained that despite the loss, "I have extremely high expectations" for the team.

While she demurred when asked about post-season hopes, insisting on a "one game at a time" approach, Power pointed out that the team should be in good hands with captains Hailey Boone and Ashley Bishop leading the squad.

The two are set to act as liaisons for the coach "both on and off the field" while taking charge of getting the girls prepared for practices and games.

"All the tedious things, they take over for me," said Power.

Offensively, Battlefield is set to challenge opponents with Bishop, Danya Galdamez, Gabby Cirigliano and Kimmie Wentworth leading the way. Galdamez moves into the attack role after playing defense last year.

"I like my teams to be very offensive-minded," said Power, who returns to the team this year after spending a few years away from the program. "I expect them to score."

That includes the midfielders too, she added.

After the Kettle Run game, Bishop suggested that the team needed to increase its intensity while being more aggressive offensively by taking more shots.

"Go all out every second," she said.

DeGoosh credited Battlefield with creating "some good, good steals" by "cutting on to our passes where they would intercept them." That required a half-time fix up for Kettle Run and gave Battlefield an opportunity to learn from something the team collectively did correctly.

As far as Battlefield's team goals this year, Bishop mentioned that a top priority is avenging the squad's loss to Osbourn in the Cedar Run District playoffs.

"Win," said Bishop. "Be together, play together as one."