Jacey Wittel and the Pocono Mountain East field hockey team had a roller-coaster season.

Acting as the lap bar that protected Wittel and her teammates through every twist and turn was the bond between teammates who, when forced to be physically distant, remained connected. 

The roller coaster's jerking and snapping began before the team's fall season. The cancellation of East's summer field hockey practices plummeted the players into the unknown.

"We didn't even know if we were going to have a season," Wittel said.

Ascension came with the news that there would, after all, be a 10-game field hockey season.

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The relief was short-lived for Wittel and her mother, Amber, East's head field hockey coach, who both had to quarantine away from the team after close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 — just as practices were set to begin.

Wittel stayed in shape by working out from home and then returned in time for East's first game, a 12-0 victory over East Stroudsburg North on Sept. 25. The time away from her teammates couldn't stop Wittel from leading the team with four goals and two assists. 

The season from that point on continued to ascend beyond the days of uncertainty, as the Cardinals compiled a 6-0 record through mid-October, including back-to-back 1-0 overtime wins against rival Stroudsburg. 

But then, as is often the case with roller coasters, came another plunge.

A member of the East field hockey team tested positive for COVID-19, meaning the season would come to a halt. A two-week, teamwide quarantine meant the Cardinals would be able to return just in time for districts.

How they would be prepared, though, without playing or even practicing as a team became the question. Working out at home might be sufficient to keep anyone in shape, but maintaining chemistry would be important for a team looking to remain undefeated.

With the team separated physically, Wittel said the use of technology kept the team close together. Wittel and her teammates filled the team group chat with "sweat selfies" — a fun way to share with each other the sweaty results of a run or workout.

Wittel said the team also paired off into "accountability partners," giving each player a teammate to be responsible for motivating and directly supporting throughout the quarantine period.

"Everyone was really encouraging to each other," Wittel said. "We're all like best friends."

The encouragement powered the team through the two-week absence, right up to the beginning of districts.

East had enough time for just one team practice before their opening round matchup against East Stroudsburg South in the District 11 playoffs. Wittel said it was a difficult practice after going so long without executing team plays, but the group chat bonding kept the team together.

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"I don't know if we felt completely ready (to play South)," Wittel said. "Because we were working out, sending pictures of ourselves running, I think that's what made us feel prepared even though we had two weeks off of, like, team practices."

Whether or not they were ready, the Cardinals defeated South 6-1 in the district semifinals. The championship game meant squaring off against also-undefeated Southern Lehigh.

A 2-1 loss to Southern Lehigh in the district title game ended East's season with disappointment, but Wittel said no one hung their head following the loss. Wittel said the whole season played with her emotions "like crazy," with heartbreak a part of the ride.

Despite the ups and downs, Wittel remains positive when thinking back on the unique season.

"It was different, but I'm just glad we had a season, and it all worked out in the end," Wittel said. "Having friends on your team really, like, especially during the pandemic, just pushed us through the hard times."

Wittel will play Division I field hockey for the University of Iowa in the fall, where she will pursue a degree in journalism.