2008 Wooster Field Hockey Season Outlook

Scots Appear Loaded Offensively, Which Could Result in Another NCAC Title

Anna Hurley, who has 21 career defensive saves, will lead Wooster's backfield.

The College of Wooster field hockey team, led by a high-powered offense, expects to be one of the top contenders for another North Coast Athletic Conference championship this season. Wooster has either won outright or shared four of the last seven NCAC crowns, including last year, which was supposed to be a rebuilding season. After a 1-4 start, including 0-3 in league play, an inexperienced Fighting Scot squad came together, finishing in a three-way tie for first-place in the NCAC (8-4) and 11-7 overall.

Now, Wooster is loaded with veterans as it welcomes back nine starters, in addition to a healthy Amanda Artman, a second-team All-American and NCAC Offensive Player of the Year as a freshman before missing all but a game and one half of her sophomore season due to a shoulder injury.

“With a majority of experienced players returning and the added help of incoming talent, I expect that we will build rapidly. Using the confidence gained from last year’s lessons and accomplishments, we have already set high goals for the season and want to hit the ground running,” stated Kelley Hubbell, the team’s interim head coach for 2008 in place of long-time mentor Brenda Meese, who is on sabbatical as a faculty member.

The Scots have been a high-scoring squad the last two years, averaging 2.90 goals per game during 2006 and 2.85 over last fall’s final 13 games once they overcame that slow start, but this season’s group could be even more effective. Artman was the 14th-leading scorer in NCAA Div. III (2.38 ppg) her first year, registering 50 points on 19 goals and 12 assists, and she’ll team up with fellow junior Brittany Montgomery and sophomores Eileen Barrer and Briana Lynch, who made up last fall’s starting forward line. Montgomery, who can also play midfield, already has 51 career points (22 goals, 7 assists) and a pair of all-conference certificates to her name. Barrer had a breakout freshman campaign, leading Wooster with 29 points (13 goals, 3 assists) en route to a spot on the All-NCAC Second Team, and Lynch was not far behind with 12 goals and four assists in just 14 games played.

Also providing support will be senior Rachel Worth-Cappell and the sophomore duo of Maggie Donnelly and Taylor Lamborn, and Hubbell is very excited about the prospects of two first-years.

“The forward line has great depth, hunger, and explosive power,” she added. “It should be one of the strongest attacking units in Wooster history.”

There is young talent, which is now experienced, at midfield as well with sophomores Nina Dine and Stephanie Standera, who both received honorable mention on the All-NCAC Team as freshmen. Dine, also an all-conference lacrosse player, tallied one goal, three assists, and two defensive saves, and Standera passed out two assists while narrowly missing on several scoring opportunities.

Kate Valora is another sophomore midfielder who started last season and senior Alex Cotter started in 2006 before studying abroad a year ago. Other letterwinners at the position include senior Ryun Ivory, junior Marissa Evans, and sophomore Alison Hall.

The backfield, where two-time all-NCAC standout Kate Persing graduated, appears to be the lone question mark heading into the season. Senior Anna Hurley will be a leader there as a four-year starter. She’s coming off second-team all-region and all-conference recognition, having helped limit the opposition to two goals or less in 16 of 18 games, and she has 21 career defensive saves.

Katrina Wojciechowski returns there as well after starting a season ago as a sophomore, while the other starting back position will be up for grabs between junior Kate Quinlivan, sophomores Maggie Cox and Laura Munro, and some newcomers.

The Scots have four goalkeepers. Junior Izzy Maffetone won the starting nod last year, compiling a .760 save percentage and 1.80 goals against average while being backed up by classmate Carly Herman and now-sophomore Abby Peters. Maffetone will have to fend off those two as well as a talented first-year in order to retain her position, according to Hubbell.