Jill Pearsall, in her never ending quest to be the best, has worked her way into the reigns behind the field hockey team’s powerful defense.
“I am always working to improve, to be the best I can be,” said the sophomore defender. “Since there is always room for improvement, I’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Pearsall’s hard work has earned her the position of sweeper for the Lady Lions. The sweeper must be able to see everything on the field at all times. She must be able to stay calm, and make the calls for the defense.
“The role of sweeper is definitely for a leader,” said junior defender Becca Main. “She (Pearsall) sees everything, and still is able to react as well as she does. She is amazing.”
At the season’s beginning, Pearsall was unsure of how she would fit into this year’s lineup.
Pearsall missed the first four games of the field hockey season because she, and teammate Kirt Benedict, were playing for the U.S. Juniors Team in Venezuela.
“I was a little worried about how I would blend back in when I came back,” Pearsall said. “Once I was back though, they made it real easy for me.”
Pearsall brought back with her experience, and a large desire to play.
She was not yet sure where she would fit into the lineup, but knew she wanted to start. During the practices, prior to leaving for Venezuela, Pearsall was being tested in a number of different positions. She had no idea where — and if — she would play when she returned.
“They hadn’t lost at all while I was gone,” she said. “So I had no idea what would happen when I got back. All I knew was that I wanted to help.”
She started her second game back against Temple, who ironically, the Lady Lions play at noon today at Holuba Field in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Lady Lions were hoping for a bye past the first round of the tournament, but instead were slated against Temple.
“We were a little disappointed that we didn’t get the bye,” Pearsall said. “But everybody is up for the game, and I think that we are going to destroy them.”
In their last meeting the Lady Lions pasted the Owls in a 4-2 victory. Pearsall came out roaring in her first start of the season. She had her first goal of the season, and also was credited with her first defensive save.
“I did a lot of practicing while I was in Venezuela,” Pearsall said. “I was playing post on penalty corners, and I got to look at a lot of different shots.”
During her freshman year, Pearsall started in the midfield but played post on penalty corners.
“I was a freshman who had never played defense in my life,” Pearsall said. “It was like taping a bull’s eye to me. The teams knew I was a freshman, and tried to take full advantage of it.”
Since that time, Pearsall has erased that bullseye, and has become a key defender for the Lady Lions. This year she was one of the five Lady Lions selected for first team All-Big Ten.
“I think that Jill is one of the best defenders in the conference,” fellow defender Chris Blais said. “I think that we work a lot better as a unit with her telling us what is going on.”