The field hockey team, coming off an impressive 11-5 season and run to the NESCAC semifinals, has 13 players returning to a squad that has realistic aspirations of returning to the conference Final Four. Last year, the Cards posted double-digit wins for the second straight year and earned a second consecutive home playoff game before ending the season in a 2-0 loss to Bowdoin in the conference tournament.
With Courtney Tetrault ’07, a first-team all-NESCAC selection from a year ago, and Molly Adams ’07, who was second-team all-NESCAC, the Cards have the offensive firepower to be dangerous throughout the season. But a tough conference schedule will demand much hard work and dedication over the course of the year.
Fortunately, the Cardinals look to be a well-conditioned team. In addition to preseason practices, the squad runs a mile before each training session and is also put through fitness tests twice during the regular season. The Cards are hopeful that their training will help to catapult them past conference rivals like Middlebury, Williams – who Wesleyan plays this Saturday – and Bowdoin.
“We ended on a strong note last season despite our loss against Bowdoin in the semifinals,” said Molly Adams ’07. “Saturday is a huge day for us. We’re hoping all of our work this preseason will pay off.”
Adams and Tetrault will have plenty of help up top, with five others returning to an attack who averaged five goals per game last season. Hailey Sarage ’09, Adrienne Shea ’08, Amanda Nickels ’08, and Julia Perciasepe ’07 all made sizeable offensive contributions a year ago. Shea was tied for second on the team with six goals, with Nickels not far behind with five tallies. Adams led the team with 10 scores.
The midfield is also in capable, experienced hands. Maddie Rottman ’08 and Tory Whitney ’08 both played significant minutes in 2005, with the former dishing out four assists and adding a goal of her own.
As for the Cardinal backline, the squad lost some defensive talent to graduation but can still rely on Sarah Rosenfeld ’07 to disrupt opposing offenses. Behind Rosenfeld, Caitlin Kelly ’07 returns in goal after allowing just 1.70 goals per game in 16 starts last season. Kelly also kept three clean sheets, ranking fourth in the NESCAC in shutouts.
These veterans, as well as five freshman newcomers, are part of spread-out, strategic system that Head Coach Patricia Klecha-Porter has instilled in her players and hopes will pay dividends in Saturday’s opener.
“The team is preparing to realign a system that spreads the field, giving Wesleyan many layers,” Klecha-Porter said. “The system will be difficult for Williams to get through as well as add energy and an offensive punch for Wesleyan.”
Though the team returns many key players, this year’s squad will not return to its home field of years past. Instead, the Cards will practice and play their home games on the new, nearly one million-dollar turf field located behind Freeman Athletic Center. Other fall and spring sports will use the new surface as well, but the shortness of the synthetic grass is thought to be ideal for field hockey.
“Our move to the turf field has already shown its benefits with our scrimmages against Trinity [last weekend],” Rosenfeld said. “Our game is faster, passes are more precise, and our skills have improved tremendously.”
The Cardinals will need this home field advantage as they not only host tough opponents like Bowdoin, but they also spend a lengthy stretch in the middle of the season away from home. After playing four of their first six matches at home, Wesleyan will hit the road for its next six contests. The dearth of home games places added importance on each match on the new surface.
The Cardinals open up their home schedule on Sept. 14 against Babson College, but the season begins this Saturday at noon at Williams College.
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