2004 William and Mary Field Hockey Outlook

07/26/04 3:24PM

- William and Mary will open the 2004 campaign looking to continue its success of the last few years, which have seen the Tribe earn one of the eight at-large berths into the NCAA Tournament in both the 2000 and 2002 seasons. The Green and Gold annually face a tough non-conference schedule and compete in the Colonial Athletic Association, one of the best field hockey conferences in the nation. Last season, the CAA was ranked as the third-best field hockey league in the nation in the NCAA RPI report. W&M has thrived against its high-level competition, posting a winning record in each of the last six seasons and ending the regular season second or better in the CAA in three of the last four years.

Head coach Peel Hawthorne expects the team to improve from last year, despite losing the team’s top three scorers and starting goalkeeper to graduation. Just one win away from her 200th victory at the College, Hawthorne is entering her 18th season at W&M. The combination of a solid corps of returning players and a top-notch recruiting class, has her expecting the Tribe to once again contend for first place in the CAA and advance to the NCAA Tournament.

Hawthorne believes that speed will be one of the biggest strengths of this year’s team and hopes that will lead the team towards greater flexibility during games.

“We have the potential to step up and play a very fast-paced game. I don’t think we’ve ever had this much speed at one time and that’s going to be true in all of our lines,” explains Hawthorne. “My goal is to have players who are capable of playing several different positions from game to game, or within a game. I want them to be comfortable working within several different systems, so that we can make on-field adjustments during a game, and in doing that, be able to match up better against our opposition.”

Forwards
The forward line returns a pair of experienced players in senior co-captain Ginny Sutton and junior Kelly Giles. The top two returning scorers on the team with five goals and one assist each last season, they bring a versatile combination of speed and strength to the top of the Tribe attack.

Sutton started all but one game last season, putting home five goals for the second consecutive year, including key scores in one-goal wins over nationally-ranked Virginia and Princeton. She also is an important participant on the corner crew, with the ability to be either the stopper or the striker.

“Ginny has one of the strongest shots on the team,” said Hawthorne. “She is capable of very good stick work and also has a knack for finding the cage. Her role on corners will increase this year and she will be a leader for us on the attack.”

Giles did not start last season, but played every game. Often the first player off the bench, she scored game-winners in a pair of one-goal victories on the road against conference opponents. Arguably the fastest player on the team, she is adept at tracking down loose balls in the field and starting fast breaks with the ability to pressure opposing defenders to lose possession.

“Kelly has so much natural talent and is probably our most explosive player,” commented Hawthorne. “Now her stick skills are catching up with her speed and I expect her to be even stronger in her ability this year.”

Also returning at forward for W&M are senior Sue Taylor and sophomore Gina Cimarelli. Taylor has battled injuries during her career, but made the most of her opportunities last season with a goal and an assist, the first points of her career. Cimarelli scored the first goal of her career in a win last season and showed marked improvement during the spring in her confidence and ability to execute under pressure.

The returning forwards will be immediately pushed for playing time by a pair of incoming freshmen in Kimberly Hedley and Ida Henley. With good speed and a long reach, Hedley was very successful in high school with 33 goals and 21 assists in her career. A passionate player with a tremendous amount of hockey experience, Henley has benefited from good coaching and good competition while competing on the USFHA National Futures Elite Touring team.

Midfielders
The midfield position is by far the most experienced for the Tribe, with all four starters returning from last year. Seniors Kate Baird and Jill Hocutt and junior Shannon Karl each have started the last two seasons, while junior Carly Falgowski started every game last season after also playing significant minutes as a rookie.

Hocutt, also a co-captain, made great strides over the last year toward becoming more comfortable at her center midfield position. She recorded a pair of assists last year, including setting up the game-winner in the Tribe’s upset win over Princeton.

“Jill has beautiful stick work and has developed a better sense of what she needs to do in her role at center mid,” said Hawthorne. “That position is so dependent on good vision and stick skills and Jill has both.”

Even with a broken thumb in the middle of the year, Baird played in all but two games and had 13 starts last season after also starting nearly every game in 2002. One of the quickest players on the team, she notched a pair of goals and added an assist in the overtime win against Virginia and may be called upon to score more often this year.

“As a midfielder, Kate’s speed has been a terrific asset and her defense gets better and better,” said Hawthorne. “She will develop into more of a finisher this season—I would like to see her increase her shooting and she may be moved up to the forward line.”

A talented player who continued to improve in the spring, Karl had a goal and three assists last season. She leads all active players in consecutive games started, currently at 37, dating back to her freshman season.

“Shannon has the quickest stickwork on the team,” said Hawthorne. “She’s realizing how to use that to her advantage and she’s starting to shoot more. She had a great spring and made some really nice improvements that I think will translate into her becoming even more of a scoring threat.”

Very comfortable in the center of the field, either on defense or the midfield, Falgowski is expected to start at the other center midfield position. A very good defensive player who can distribute the ball up the field, she also may find herself in more of an attacking position this season.

“Carly has textbook defensive skills,” said Hawthorne. “It’s so much fun to watch her go one-on-one. She has terrific stickwork to get herself out of most any situation that she encounters and can usually put the ball right where her teammates need it. She also has fantastic game sense and I’d like to see her be more assertive in a scoring role this year.”

Four sophomores will be pushing the upperclassmen for playing time in the midfield. JJ Kubicek redshirted last season with an injury after playing as a freshman in 2002 and has three years of eligibility remaining. A very smart player, she rebounded with a successful spring and will be expected to contribute in 2004. Maggie Long made improvements this spring in understanding the team’s style of play and improved defensively as well. Julienne Palbusa underwent ACL surgery in the middle of the season, too late to apply for a medical hardship waiver from the NCAA, and should be ready to play in the fall. Hawthorne was particularly impressed with her dedication to the team and her rehabilitation regimen and expects the efforts to pay off in 2004. Rounding out the group is Becky Van Zee, one of the team’s best athletes who also has tremendous speed. With a very good understanding of the game, she may be asked to fill in at a variety of positions during the season. Freshman Jessica Kacerek is another player with good speed who also adds quality stick skills and field vision.

Defenders
Despite the loss of third-team All-American Kelli Duggan from the back line, the Tribe returns three starters at the position, anchored by second team All-CAA selection, junior Anna Davis, along with senior Tiffany Reeves and junior Diana Esposito.

Davis led the team with three defensive saves last season, including a key stop in a 1-0 road win over Virginia Commonwealth. A fearless competitor who has started for two seasons, she continues to improve her play.

“Anna just keeps getting better,” states Hawthorne. “Her stickwork has improved to the point that she can get out of most any situation if she gets pinned down in the deep defense, and her hitting and communication have also improved. She has such a natural instinct for defense and she will do whatever it takes to keep the ball out of the cage.”

Reeves came on strong last season, scoring two goals and three assists after having taken just one shot in her first two seasons, while adding a defensive save against James Madison. She also suffered a broken thumb in the middle of the season, but quickly bounced back and was a consistent presence for the Tribe on defense. Reeves also contributes as the team’s primary inserter on corners.

“I was impressed with Tiffany last season,” said Hawthorne. “She broke her thumb and was able to get it pinned and come back and play the next day. I was impressed with her commitment and determination to come back from that. She became a much steadier player in defense, but could possibly move around and play some different positions for us this year.”

Another two-year starter, Esposito recorded two defensive saves in contests against top-10 teams last year. With terrific vision, she has improved her conditioning and is able to contribute as either a defender or a midfielder.

“Diana is another fixture on the defense, but could very easily see time in the midfield,” commented Hawthorne. “She’s been a very steady performer for us and filled in at both of those position during the season and in the spring.”

Sophomore Jamie Fitzgerald and freshman Laura Kastelic will also battle for playing time this year on the back line. Yet another player with good speed, Fitzgerald plays lacrosse for W&M and did not practice with the field hockey team in the spring. A pure defensive player, Kastelic comes from a good high school program where she was teammates with Esposito for two seasons.

Goalkeepers
The most wide-open competition for a starting role on the team this season will come at the goalkeeping position. Junior Heather Kibbee is the only returning netminder for the Tribe, playing in seven games with two starts last year. She shared a shutout against Vermont with graduated first team all-conference goalie Stacey Gaenzle, allowing nine goals in 242:30 last season.

“Heather improved a great deal this spring,” said Hawthorne. “She was our only goalie for the spring, so she played 100% of every game and every scrimmage, and I think that will really benefit her, to have had so much game time and experience.”

A pair of incoming freshmen, Kristen Gillis and Gwen Hunter, will challenge Kibbee for time in the cage in 2004. A very vocal player, Gillis continued to impress the Tribe coaching staff with her play at indoor tournaments in the spring. Hunter was a member of the Under-16 and Under-19 national teams and has an impressive command of the game. She has strong skills and can quickly assess the situation and organize the defense.

Schedule
Once again the Tribe will face a very challenging schedule, featuring six schools that competed in the 16-team NCAA Tournament in 2003. Eight of this year’s opponents ended the year ranked in the top 20 or received votes in the final NFHCA national coaches poll.

“The schedule is great,” said Hawthorne. “For the last few years I have felt that our scheduling has put us where we need to be at the end of the year.”

W&M’s non-conference slate features games against many of the top programs in the country, including home matchups against Duke, Princeton and Richmond. The Tribe will also face Indiana, Louisville, North Carolina and Virginia during a tough four-game road trip in September. W&M takes on some stiff competition against conference foes as well, as the Colonial Athletic Association continues to prove itself as one of the nation’s top field hockey leagues. Last season seven of the conference’s eight teams were ranked or received votes in the national coaches poll, including Old Dominion, Delaware and William and Mary, who all ended the season in the top 20.