The King’s Fork High School field hockey team showed resilience in the midst of a difficult 2015 season and gained recognition through nine All-Conference 17 selections, including three on the first team.

“I thought that was a great representation of what they have accomplished this year,” Lady Bulldogs coach Darcy Pinchbeck said. “I was very happy as a coach to have seen as many players and as many names that came from King’s Fork.”

King’s Fork junior forward Nia Vargas, junior midfielder Lauren Park and junior defender Jadice Baker made the all-conference first team.

Vargas finished the season with four goals and three assists.

“I think that she has a lot of fight in her play,” Pinchbeck said, accounting for why Vargas netted a first-team honor. “She’s very determined and doesn’t give up. She has really good speed, especially when she does have the ball.”

The coach continued, noting Vargas shined in clutch moments for the Lady Bulldogs, but her heroics were not limited to those times.

“I think she’s just a consistent player on our team,” Pinchbeck said.

Vargas is interested in playing field hockey in college and is involved in the process of preparing for the next level.

Lauren Park ended up with three goals and three assists this year courtesy of her skills with the stick.

“She has precise stick work,” Pinchbeck said. And though Park’s primary position was in the midfield, “she is a good player pretty much everywhere that we put her on the field.”

The coach indicated Park benefits from playing field hockey outside of just high school, which gives her more experience and allows her to spend more time honing her skills.

Jadice Baker did not generate goals and assists since she served as King’s Fork’s center back, but she had three saves and was a significant presence for the Lady Bulldogs near their own goal.

“Her leadership in the back of the field really showed where she could organize the defense,” Pinchbeck said. “One of her best attributes is where she never gives up.”

“She does have three saves because she was very committed to our defense,” the coach continued, also highlighting Baker’s role on King’s Fork’s corner team.

The Lady Bulldogs, which saw their season end in the conference tournament semifinals, finished the year with a 3-11-1 overall record.

They persevered in the face of challenges and gained a reputation for having a good attitude amidst it all, as Pinchbeck noted two referees offered praise to that end.

“That’s a great compliment,” she said.

King’s Fork players making the all-conference second team included junior forward Kaylyn Swinson, junior forward Selina Davis, junior goalkeeper Hannah O’Neal, sophomore midfielder Amber Suits, freshman midfielder Isabella Gay and freshman defender JoLynn Cloud.

In part because of the youth of her team’s honorees, Pinchbeck said, “I’ve always said I’m very excited for next year.”