Wayne Magazine Back To School 2016 | Page 37

THE GOOD FIGHT Liz Byrne beats adefender during achampionship game against Pompton Lakes. When the best field hockey teams in Passaic County are discussed, Wayne Hills is not just in the mix. TOP: SANDY STUCKI; RIGHT: ANNE-MARIE CARUSO The Patriots are at the very top of the list. Sparked by a strong amount of balance and quality depth throughout the lineup, Wayne Hills has captured three consecutive Passaic County Tournament championships and has earned the county crown four of the last six seasons. With a host of talented players that includes seniors Liz Byrne (forward), Amanda LaGuardia (forward) and Rachel Vellis (goalkeeper) Wayne Hills should have a good chance to be crowned county champions for the fourth year in a row come October. “Last year our slogan was ‘All out, All game, All season’ and that’s the way we basically take every game we play,” said Byrne, a two-year starter who was a reserve on the 2013 PCT championship team as a freshman. “Every single girl on the team comes to this sport with a lot of passion and we play with heart for 60 minutes (regulation time field hockey is 30 minutes in each half) or however long the game takes.” “I’ve always been a big believer that if you take care of the little things, the big things in the overall picture will take care of [themselves],” says Wayne Hills 2016 coach Tina Londino. ➤ “I’ve always been a big believer that if you take care of the little things, the big things in the overall picture, will take care of [themselves].” TINA LONDINO Wayne Hills coach BACK TO SCHOOL 2016 WAYNE MAGAZINE 35