Academically the Field Hockey squad is finishing their year and many are preparing to make the trip back to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, Canada, Scotland, and the Netherlands. It’s been an eventful year with its obvious ups and downs, but certainly with lessons learned. From what I saw this spring there is a determination to come back on August 8th, a better, stronger, more skillful, team. As I said in my last article, the last two spring contests saw a true division one team emerge. If it’s true that the whole will be even stronger than its parts, it could be an exciting fall.
August 8th will also see the addition of a new class who will have two weeks to adjust to the faster play, longer periods and skillful competition they will face. The league will be stronger with every team making an effort to up their game. Bucknell is traveling to the Netherlands this summer, American will have added an additional year to train a very strong squad from last year, Boston will reload, Lehigh has a second year with their new coach and an improving squad, Colgate is adding a new Coach, and Holy Cross has gone to Europe to strengthen their already improving squad. It will be a scramble no doubt for that championship trophy.
Several Leopards will be staying on campus and will undoubtably will be spending many evenings with veterans sharpening their skills on Rappolt Field. In addition, the Leopards will have four players who have made the USA field hockey high performance practice squads. Sophomore goalie Sarah Park, senior defender Cody Hunsicker, sophomore attacker Sam DiMaio and Junior midfielder Theresa Delahanty are all ready to compete this summer. This is the highest number to my recollection of Leopards doing High Performance. No doubt our foreign players will be returning to their club teams as well.
August 8th is already circled on my calendar. In the meantime I will try to keep you abreast of everything until then. Amanda Magadan continues on the US squad and could see action this summer at an international tournament at Spooky Nook. Katelyn Arnold has been nominated for the class of 1913 Student Athlete award and certainly Amanda Magadan will be a nominee for the female athlete of the year.
Congratulations to all our graduating seniors and best of luck. Remember you are always in our thoughts and we hope to see you at all the alumni events in the future.
Lafayette College Field Hockey 