Beyond dealing with the challenge of facing the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in its region, the field hockey team will have to make the transition from playing on turf to playing on grass.
No. 4 Penn State is currently ranked No. 1 in the region. The Lady Lions will play at No. 3 Connecticut tomorrow and at No. 2 Lafayette on Sunday.
“These are important games for us this weekend,” said Coach Char Morett, “the highest ranked team in each region gets an automatic bid.”
Most NCAA teams now play their games on turf. The turf causes many more stops in play when the ball rolls out of bounds. On the grass the ball stops short of going out of bounds and takes many odd bounces, which makes play faster paced and a lot more unpredictable.
“Because both games will be played away and on grass, it will make for a couple of very unpredictable matches,” said Assistant Coach Kristen Winters.
The games promise to be aggressive this weekend. Beyond the battle among the ranks, the inter-regional rivalries will add to the heat of the games.
“Both teams always come at us hard,” Winters added. “These games have always been big regional rivalries. It just means that we have to concentrate more, I know that we’re up to the challenge. We’ve practiced on grass all week, and I feel that we’re better prepared than we have been in the past.”
The Lady Lions don’t feel that the transition to playing on grass will affect their playing style. In some ways they feel that they can draw on some advantages that playing on turf wouldn’t normally provide.
“We’ve all played in grass before, and we know that there are some tough bounces, but there are advantages too,” said sophomore forward Chris Blais.
“I feel that I play better on grass,” added midfielder Jenn Coletta, “I have a longer reach, and the grass allows me to out run most of my opponents.”
Coach Morett said that the team will stick with its new system, and believes that the Lady Lions can be just as effective on the grass.
“I think the team looks really good on grass, and I think that we have a style that fits grass well,” Coletta added.
Freshman goalkeeper Shelly Meister said there is added pressure on the goalkeepers on grass surfaces. The ball spends a lot more time in the playing area. Goalkeepers must also adjust their typical style play to account for bad bounces.
“The only real difference is that I’ve gotta watch for bad bounces,” said Meister. “It is a hit and run match, the ball stops a lot more, and allows for more shots on goal, I have to keep my whole body in front of the ball. It makes for a tough game on the goals, but I think we have a good defense that will help to cut down on that.”
There are only seven returning starters for the Lady Lions, and many of the younger players are anxious to fill the open positions. Freshman Tara Maguire had a hat trick last week, and many other freshmen starters have played a major role thus far.
“We have a lot of young players that will do whatever it takes to win,” Winters said, “and I think that if they play to their potential they won’t be stopped.”