Rutland Herald Fall Sports Guide 2019 5
Field Hockey Continued from Page 4
the field. Poljacik plans to employ that
speed to play an up-tempo game, while
using her long bench to keep her play-
ers fresh and aggressive.
“It always helps to have speed and
aggressiveness,” Poljacik said. “We
always hope for success, and that will
come with the experience and confi-
dence girls develop by getting plenty
of playing time. I think right now that
this will be a good year for us.”
Poljacik still has starting slots to fill
and over the next couple of days with
practices, scrimmages and participa-
tion in the Mount Abraham Play Day
on Saturday, she feels that the starters
and how girls rotate in will sort itself
out.
The Raiders need to be ready.
Rutland opens on Aug. 30, hosting
northern power CVU. But it gets even
more difficult when Rutland travels to
powerhouse South Burlington for its
second game.
Fair Haven
After a 2018 season where the Fair
Haven field hockey team had no wins
and just one tie, the Slaters have no-
where to go but up.
“I’m a positive person and I’m opti-
mistic about this season,” head coach
Jen Clement said as she watched 15
girls go through their afternoon prac-
tice on a recent day of double sessions.
Clement has reasons to be encour-
aged: she lost only one player through
graduation and has 21 girls out, bol-
stered by 12 seniors.
There are also six new players who
turned out, including a junior, a soph-
omore and four freshmen.
Heading up the core group of Slater
players is senior goalie Jordan Howard,
a three-year starter who has worked
hard over the summer on her game.
Anna Breslin, another senior, will be
an impact player whether playing in the
midfield or on the forward line. Fellow
senior Lydia Aust will anchor the de-
fense, while senior twins Madison and
PHOTO BY JON OLENDER
Otter Valley freshman Riley Keith (1, center) makes a pass to a team mate while
playing St. Johnsbury Academy in Brandon. At top is St. Jay’s Michaela Roy (4).
Emily Belden, along with Jillian Stewart,
will play key roles. Madison firms up
the forward line, while Emily will fortify
the defense, and Stewart will swing
from midfield to defense depending
upon need and formation.
Clement looks for strong play from
two more seniors, Olivia Lannon and
Elisabeth Haggarty, rounding out the
core of the Slater squad.
“I’m very optimistic,” Clement said.
“I want to keep them positive, hope
that they enjoy the game and support
each other. And with so many seniors,
I feel that we will be competitive.”
Clement believes that playing a sport
like field hockey and learning team-
work is a great foundation for life.
“We set goals, but I believe it’s im-
portant for the girls to be there for
each other,” she said.
One more positive for Clement
and Fair Haven field hockey is that
this year she will have an assistant/
JV coach in Jackie Bendick, who is
working hard with the younger Slater
players.
Fair Haven opens its season on
Thursday Aug. 29 at Granville, New
York.
Springfield
Stephen Lawrence has coached the
Springfield High School cross-coun-
try team for six years but has never
played team sports. Still, when Kelly
DeAngelis had to vacate her position
as Springfield field hockey coach,
someone needed to step forward to
take on the challenge. And Lawrence
was that person.
“I always felt that field hockey (along
with cross-country) was the other for-
gotten fall sport,” said Lawrence, who
teaches psychology at Springfield High
School. “I’ve never done a sport where
there is an offense and a defense. The
girls know that I’m not well versed
in field-hockey but I think it will be
an awesome experience. They are so
thankful that I stepped up to do this. I
will learn a lot from them and they will
learn a lot from me.”
Thirteen girls turned out and there
is the possibility of two more joining.
Nine of those girls are returning play-
ers, many of whom were starters, and
all of them are juniors.
It’s all so fresh and new to Lawrence
that he hasn’t even figured out posi-
tions. But Lawrence believes that as
they go along in practice and as they
play the game, the positions will be
sorted out.
The 10 juniors are Anna Church,
Natalia Dorcely, Makaila Dorceley,
Haley Gibbons, Chloe Jerman-Brown,
Kaelie Peoples, Hannah Presch, Josie
Protas, Skyler Congdon and Reilly
Tennis.
Olivia Loney is the lone sophomore,
while Madison Clark and Dyanna
Thibideau are freshmen.
“I know many of these girls because
they run track, or I’ve seen them in
the hallways during school,” Lawrence
said. “Right now we are starting with
the physical preparation and then
we will move on to strategy and game
playing.”
Volunteer assistant coach Jenna
Young, a Springfield grad and former
field hockey player, will assist Lawrence
with strategy, rules and formations.
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