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Wading through the NCAA gobbledygook, pre-season practice for division one field hockey may start about 21 days before the first game. So counting backwards from the Leopards August 30 game with VCU, our Leopards and the rest of the college hockey world should be on their turf with two a days as I write this. I have heard some of our more disparate team members started arriving last Thursday. For the players it may seem like a long time to prepare for the season, but move in and orientation for new students is Aug 23 with classes starting Aug 26. So, for our seven new first year players, it will be a short time to get used to new teammates and the rigors and demands of a division one sport.

During that time, there will be two scrimmages as well. It’s a challenge for coaches as well as players. The coaches must decide where everyone fits, and to see where players best complement one other. Likewise, players need time to adjust. Field Hockey is fluid game and so much depends on the mesh of the players on the field. For our first year players the speed of the ball and the movement of teammates will be a challenge.

Fitness is important, but the time is past to worry about that. If, as a player, you haven’t prepared yourself, it is unlikely you will be able to keep up with the other mental demands of preseason. Psychologically, for new players, the adjustment will be harder not having the benefit of a spring season. But I have seen many of them play at Spooky Nook, camps and national competitions in their home country. Coach Stone will be pleased with her addition of 7 solid players.

If past is prologue, families have dropped off their offspring, amid tears and cheers. The fun part of pictures and first team meals are already in the books and first beep tests, mile runs and other fitness tests are already endured. It is only 6 days before they will see their first college competition of the year at Fairfield, and we will get our first legitimate glimpse of 2019 Leopards in action.

This could be an EXCELLENT team, but that may well depend on the next two weeks….. “effort in.. equals results out.” In the coming days, there will be meaningless preseason picks ( I will save my comments until after that release), but I fully expect Lafayette to be picked in the top four and eligible for post season patriot league play, anything less would be a step backwards. The league will be interesting with two teams ( American and Lehigh) bringing in 10 or more new players. Colgate will be playing a largely veteran team and the always tough Boston team looks at least as good as last year. Holy Cross has always been a thorn in our side and Bucknell is always ready. To my cursory observation  though, there is no team on this schedule that Lafayette is beyond being successful against. More about that for later articles!!

At the post game news conference with Janneke Schopman and Erin Matson who scored three goals in the 5-1 win against Chile, the word, connections came up. Erin revealed that connecting in this game after the disappointing loss in the semi-final on Tuesday was a theme for this contest. Connect they did for five goals with virtually all them the result of assists and passes from teammates.

The first two minutes of the game saw both teams come out determined but it was the US who was to score first off a Lauren Moyer backhanded crossed off the pads of the Chilean goalie. However, Chile responded  a minute later with a goal of there own. It was at this point Head Coach Schopman recalled not knowing how the game was going to go. If you score the first goal those two minutes after a goal is important she indicated. “It was at that point I didn’t know how the game would go.”

But the team stuck together and played together to light up the scoreboard four more times to seal a solid victory and the bronze medal. First half domination was missing in  previous games but the team responded in the second quarter this time. In the third minute, captain Kathleen Sharkey sent the ball to Erin Matson weaving between two defenders and she delivered a backhand into the goal. Sharkey got a goal of her own in the 21 st minute after a series of cross field passes, ended on her stick at the top of the circle after which she delivered a rocket into the cage. The fourth and final goal of the first half was supplied by Matson after a rebound picked up by Ashley Hoffman who passed to Amanda Magadan whose shot rebounded only to be picked up by Matson who scored her second goal of the evening. CONNECTIONS INDEED!!

In the third quarter it was the defense who shined through the use of a high press that stymied Chile’s renewed effort in search of a comeback.

The fourth quarter saw witness to Matson’s 3rd goal in the 52nd minute. Hoffman received the insert and dragged back to Matson who finished …5-1 USA.

Coach Shopman after the game revealed, the team would receive 2 1/2 weeks off after which they would begin preparation for another Olympic qualifier after the Oceana Cup. That game would be probably be on the road with a team to be determined.

Canada used a well executed corner in the first half and a second goal from the field in the second half to come out with a 2-0 win over the US team. US fans no doubt were looking for the second half surge that characterized the previous wins by the US, but it was not to happen. Captain Kathleen Sharkey was right on point as she described the Canadian counterattack as a key difference in the game.

Canada got their first goal off a corner with a well executed shot by Karli Johansen in the second quarter. The US responded with several close chances but just couldn’t find the connections to result in the tying goal. Both teams came out with purpose in the second half, as the US again saw several close chances, but didn’t find the back of the cage. The US goal keeper Kelsie Bing was kept busy, and made several close saves. But as the half wore on, Canada did again find the goal by the way of a shot by Madeline Secco.

It was after the second goal, it seemed to me, the US got more and more desperate and there was a lot of individual effort to spur a comeback. But all credit to the experienced Canadian defense as they seemed to be everywhere, tackling, blocking passes and closing spaces.

Canada now moves on to the finals and a shot at an Olympic berth, and US will play Chile to capture a bronze medal. This will be the rubber match with Chile, who showed their skill even in a loss to the US in the Pool B match up. Coach Shopman expressed her disappointment, but resolved to do her best to keep the team together for a final medal opportunity.

Again, experience was the key in the game and although individually talented, this young US team must find ways to stay together, and develop, to reach it’s full potential, I believe.

Off a 9-0 victory against Cuba on Sunday, the US Women’s team earned the right to play Canada, the second place team from Pool A at the Pan Am games. The US finished the quarter finals undefeated, as has Argentina in Pool A. Canada has one loss, against Argentina. Argentina  will play Chile whose one loss is with the United States in Pool B.

The Pan Am championship is an automatic qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics next year. Argentina by virtue of its ranking and performance in the pro-league already has a ticket. So for Canada and the US this is the most direct path to Tokyo.

Looking at the stats in this tournament and at the rosters, the obvious difference is the Canadian team’s experience. Twelve of their players have 100 caps or more, the US has only 3. The most experienced US player has 170 caps. However, Canada’s average age is very close. Two US players got their experience as teenagers. In fact MacKensie Allessie, who has yet to play a college game is second in scoring for the tournament with six goals to her credit. Canada’s leading scorer is Sara McManus with 5 goals, 3 from the field and 2 penalty corners.

Significantly , scoring has been spread around the US team and one of the US’s advantages is their ability to score from anywhere on the field. Canada has scored 24 goals, two on penalty strokes, 9 on corners, and 13 from the field. The US has 26 goals, 1 penalty stroke, 11 penalty corners, and 14 from the field.

The US is ranked 13 and Canada 18 in the world. Games between these two hockey rivals have been contentious and battles are right to the end. The stakes are high as both teams are looking for that precious Olympic spot. No doubt coach Schopman, the US Coach would like to see a faster start for the US team given their late game rallies in the previous games.  Game time is 6:15 Tuesday but it will not be televised. The championship game will be Friday evening and will be on one of the ESPN channels.

In the first game of the Pan Am Field Hockey Tournament, the US took a 5-0 win against Mexico. The first half was a back and forth affair as Mexico turned back several good chances by the US. The US had 9 penalty corners alone in the half. With three minutes left in the first half, midfielder Danielle Grega found the back of the net with a deflection to give the Red, White and Blue the 1-0 lead going into half time.

Coach Janneke Schopman must have had a lot to say to the team as they came out with renewed vigor and Amanda Magadan got on the scoreboard in the thirty fourth minute with a deflection off a Sharkey  straight shot to right post, where Magadan dutifully put it in the cage for a 2-0 lead for the US.

This started a torrent of scoring when, after only 3 minutes having ticked off the clock, Lauren Moyer emerged out of a scramble in front of the cage to get the ball past the Mexican goalkeeper making it 3-0. One minute later Erin Matson made it 4-0 scoring off a rebound, initially delivered by a Hoffman drag flick during a corner. Matson, the inserter  deftly lifted the ball for the score.

Two minutes later Ashley Hoffman finished the scoring after Mexico pushed a US player inside the circle, and the US was awarded a penalty stroke. This was the final score in a 5-0 dominating win for US.

Step one completed, and now on to Chile on Wednesday at one o’clock.

In an unusual Sunday afternoon release on go leopards and a concurrent video , Head Field Hockey Coach Jennifer Stone rounded out the incoming class for the fall. Previously on Twitter and followed on this blog six months ago a group of five was announced, Tara Hamilton from North Vancouver, Shea Balderson from Moorestown N.J, Hanna Lewis from Lebanon, Pa, Sydney Woolston from Berlin N.J., and Natalie Fuertsch from  Pottstown,Pa. In her interview, she was obviously excited by her incoming class. Many have performed at various tournaments and camps since graduation. Tara Hamilton has already played with current Lafayette midfielder Audrey Sawers in the national under 21 Canadian tournament. Sydney Woolston has been seen at Spooky Nook the national training headquarters for the US Team and Hanna Lewis was singled out by Stone for her efforts at a camp this summer.

Left out in the initial announcement but known by those close to the team are two recruits from Europe who could be difference makers, Felcitas Hannes a 5’3″ forward from Cologne, Germany and Simone Hefting a 6′ defender from Den Bosch, Netherlands.

Last spring, captain Lisa Van der Geest mentioned the incoming class at the team banquet. Not only is the head coach excited about the incoming class but the current players are looking forward to the new class to replace a very talented senior class who graduated two months ago.

Simone Hefting played for HC Den Bosch her entire youth. They were champions of South Netherlands from 2012-2015. They won  the Dutch outdoor championships in 2017 and repeated in 2018. Van der Geest, an all American last year described Simone to me this way. Gesturing with hand near her waist, Lisa opined, ” I am here.” Then moving her hand over her head, “Simone is here.”  Not good news for Patriot League opponents!!!  Our defense looks well in hand.

Felicitas Hannes played forward for Rot-Weiss Koeln and play in 10 German championship runs first being in  the U12 division in 2012, She and her club won West German U18, and U19 indoor championships.  Her talents are not limited to hockey as she tutored her peers in math and voluteered for a sport program for refugee children in Cologne. She will enjoy teaming up with our talented forward line once she arrives at Lafayette. And so will our fans.

We are down to a mere few weeks before our young women return to the Hill and Rappolt Field. This could be a fun season!!

Summer break is nearly over and the pages of summer work outs, the clinics and camps  are slowly behind the Lafayette student athlete, and in less than a month, they will be returning  to campus to begin the final preparation and rehearsals for the fall season.  By this time next month, their first division one competition, in the form of a scrimmage will be upon them. About 85 percent of the seventy plus schools have already published their schedules, and they are beginning appear in publications like “Field Hockey Corner.”

But the campus itself is beginning to come alive. You can see small bands of athletes organizing for captain’s practices. The Football team will be the first to arrive and the start of their summer workouts might be more of a subtle change in routine, as you can already see larger and larger groups working out under the hot sun at Fisher Field.

For those of you thousands of miles away in Germany, Holland, and Vancouver it’s been very hot here in the US Northeast with temperatures reaching close to 100 degrees, I can only imagine the heat on the astro-turf surface. As parents and student athlete alike arrive in less than a month, they will see a campus in the midst of large changes.

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The new integrated science center is nearly completed, Just in time, as STEM offerings are being enhanced. The school will be offering a new BS in engineering which will complement the other more specific engineering offering. The new dorms have begun construction on Cattell Street. They will be ready for occupants in 2020. They will include a plethora of new retail shops on the bottom floor replacing the old worn out housing and retail space that has occupied the Hill for years.

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The freshman college population will well exceed 700 as the school advances to their short term target of 2900 students. In the coming years we will see additional changes and renovation to accommodate the new populations. On the list of renovations according to highly placed sources, will be the science building, Kunkel Hall, the student housing at Marquis, McKean, and others.

The college is also committed to change and improvements in the athletic department. Sherryta Freeman, now more than a year into her job as Athletic Director, is changing the face and resources of the department for a reinvigorated sports program. There is a new women’s Lacrosse Coach, and additional staff for the Men’s Lacrosse program as well as the women’s basketball program. There is a new administrator for compliance ,who I understand will also have some sports responsibilities.

I have also learned from high sources that a new fence surrounding the field hockey field is in the works, and upon inspection recently I see small flags on the outside where the fence will go. Upon arrival at Metzgar Fields the new construction of fences and welcoming signage finally makes Metzgar have the look of the  beautiful campus Lafayette is. Also in the works are permanent bathrooms adjacent to the field hockey stands, which will bring comfort to our many fans. The timing is unclear but I am assured they are on the way.

We will welcome seven new families and they will learn quickly how the program is a family friendly activity. There is excitement always, and this season is no exception. The Patriot League is as competitive as ever and as we begin that schedule, Lafayette will be facing familiar coaching organizations, each with the goal of not only making it to the post season league playoffs but the NCAA national tournament.

There will be some new opponents and according to their already published schedules we will be seeing  App State, and Monmouth among others for the first time in a while. There will also be the familiar names we have seen in the past according their schedules, Penn, Temple, Liberty, and Richmond have us on their websites. More about that in later posts. I plan to go over each Patriot League team later this summer and I eventually will have something to say about our out of conference games as they approach.

For me its been a long summer waiting. but its almost over!!