By Kelsey Newborn
Sports Writer
Sandy beaches, blue seas, and tropical breezes are not usually associated with pre-season. Bermuda was the place to be for the Washington College field hockey team this August with a trip to the vacation destination for a little fun in the sun and some serious game play against the under 21 Bermuda National Team among others played.
Returning to campus, it was time to get serious as pre-season was shorter than it previous years.
Newly appointed captain and junior Gussie Reilly discussed the rigors of the 2010 preseason and stated that the focus was primarily on “game play, learning a new formation, and integrating the freshman into the team system.”
With the end of preseason came the appointment of five new captains.
These are Reilly, senior Danielle Rosato, senior Sara Rutowski, junior Emily Broomell, and junior Emily Trees. According to Reilly, Trees is “the player to watch this year.” After putting up 11 points consisting of three goals and five assists, while playing in 16 of 17 games in the 2009 season, this is “Trees’ year to shine,” said Reilly.
In addition to Trees and the other four captains, the Shorewomen return three seniors, four juniors, and eight sophomores, including the 2009 All-Centennial Conference second-team midfielder Kristen Wille. Although without two-time All-Centennial Conference firstteam goalkeeper Elena Nicholoff, the Shorewomen are confident in senior goalie Shannon Davis, who according to Reilly has “really stepped up and done tremendous work this year.”
Taking a look at the upcoming season, Reilly cited Ursinus as the toughest conference game that the team has to face but also said “we are always contenders in the conference and since we are playing Ursinus at home this year, it will be a much different game on our turf.”
Post- season play is on the minds of all the players, but in order to get there, Reilly first wants the team to “maintain its close-knit relationships on and off the field and continue to improve the already strong communication we have.”
With the addition of six new freshmen and a new assistant coach in goalie coach Lauren Leukhardt, the Shorewomen look to build on last year’s success and return to the Centennial Conference Post Season, in which they last appeared in 2008. Despite dropping their season opener to Mount Holyoke College 1-0, the team looks to rebound with its home opener Sept. 9th versus Wesley College.