Any young team is only as good as its older leadership. When the game is on the line, the less experienced players on the field look not necessarily to their coaches for guidance, but instead to their older teammates.
The Virginia field hockey team enters the 2004 season with seven freshmen on its roster of 21. With such a young expanse of players, the Cavaliers require leadership from players who know what it is like to compete on the Division 1 level.
"The big freshmen class is a bit overwhelming at times," captain Allison Flynn said. "But my class wasa class of eight as well, so it isn't uncommon. We are a really close team, on and off the field. Ourteam chemistry is a big part of who we are."
Virginia finished last season with a loss in the first round of the ACC tournament following a relatively disappointing year that included a five-game midseason losing streak.
Virginia plays a tough schedule this season, with 10 games against opponents who finished in the top 20 last season. The ACC also boasts the top four teams in the preseason national poll with Wake Forest, Duke, Maryland and North Carolina.
"We need to not only win, but we need to get better and better during eachgame," Flynn said. "We have a tough set of games this fall and every time we play we need to be preparing ourselves for the next one."
Despite the overall youth of the roster, the team returns key players from last season, and the new recruiting class includes several young athletes who are ready to play.
All-American senior back Katie Jo Gerfen and junior midfielder Flynn again return to the field, where they were the team's top two scorers last season.
The focus this season, however, is not on the team's eldest players, but on the younger ones. Specifically, this year is about the difference that one year of experience has made for an impressive trio of sophomores -- Erin Hayes, Katherine Blair, and Mia Link.
Defensively, Hayes comes back to the Cavaliers after an impressive inaugural season in which she started 13 games and notched a team leading three defensive saves.
Goalkeeper Blair returns for her second season of sharing playing time after being named to the USA Junior National Team in January.
Link, a forward, will lead the offensive attack after starting all 20 games as a true freshman. In the first two games of this year's campaign, she tallied six goals, matching her total from last season.
The vast one-year improvement of Hayes, Blair and Link will likely set an example for the current freshmen.
"They totally soak up our energy," Link said of the freshmen. "They have really integrated well so far."
Forwards Abby Taylor and Blair Northen and midfielders Megan Ponessa and Amy Marotta will be the first in the class to receive playing time. Each received numerous accolades in high school, but must adjust to the collegiate level quickly to help the Cavaliers improve.
"We just have to put it together," Flynn said. "Spring, summer and preseason are about to pay off."
If Virginia can succeed at settling the freshmen into starting roles to complement its current stars, it will have a good chance to gather big wins and move up in the rankings. This melding will revolve around the effort and attitude of a group of upperclassmen aching to bring Virginia back into contention.
Read More
Stony-faced and poetic: Virginia’s most colorful coaches
By CD Sports Staff | 4 days agoA walking encyclopedia, a fiery basketball coach, the bard of lacrosse and more.
Virginia field hockey strikes gold with first in-state recruit in three years
By Eleanor Buchanan | 4 days agoA superstar is on the way.
Predictions for a pivotal 2025 football season
By Xander Tilock , Ben McNiff and Ryan Weiner | 5 days agoThree beat writers share their thoughts.
