Field Hockey Looks for New Ways to Score

By Ben Kramer
Contributing Writer

Wesleyan’s field hockey team is getting ready for another promising year. Last year, the field hockey team made it to the ECAC’s with an 8-6 record. They beat rival Williams, but lost to Amherst 3-2 in overtime. They are a competitive team who, in the words of head coach Pattie Klecha-Porter, "are a team coming into the season with fine skills."

"We look really good. We have a lot of returnees and our freshmen show a lot of potential," said Maura Trail ’01.

Tending the nets, the cardinals have sophomore Taryn Hutchins-Cabibi, whom Klecha-Porter "considers to be one of the top goal keepers in the NESCAC."

Hutchins-Cabibi played the lion’s share of the Cardinal’s games last year, clocking in 911 of the 1016 available game minutes. She also boasts an 85.7 save percentage and held opposing teams to goose eggs six times.

Liz Schiller ‘01, who played in two games last year without giving up a single goal, will serve as a viable backup.

The Cardinals are using the same playing scheme as they did last year, a 4-2-3-1-1, meaning that are four attackers, three middies, three backs, a sweeper and a goalie. Whitney Kasserman ’00, a graduate of the prep-school powerhouse Pingry who played in every game last year, anchors the three backs.

According to Klecha-Porter, the team boasts a young defensive unit that will be much stronger after gaining experience last year.

Rounding out the defensive unit are 1997 letter-winners Erica Johnson ’00, Erica Grossman ’00 and Hannah Breul ’00. Frosh prospects swelling the ranks include Alex Desautels, Catherine Crowley-Delman and Jill Green.

Last year the Cardinals had eight of their 14 games decided by two goals or less. While this puts pressure on the defense, it also puts the pressure on the midfield and attackers to score.

Of the midfielders, only two are upperclassmen. One is junior Danielle Marchione, who started every game last year. The other is senior co-captain and All-American Margaret Metz ‘99, who Klecha-Porter is relying on to lead the midfield. When queried about Metz, Klecha-Porter simply replied "She is very good."

If the team can get the offense the ball, it should be in more than capable hands. The three targets up front are senior co-captain Edie Aloe, who had 11 points last year; junior Maura Trail who put the biscuit in the basket eight times; and junior A.J. Smith.

Smith lead the team in both goals and points, with nine and 26 respectively. In addition, sophomore Grace Anderson-Smith should, according to Klecha-Porter, "see some stepped up time." Also Sophomore Heather McCarthy is back from an injury ridden 1997.

With all this, it is possible, wind and weather permitting, that the field hockey team will proceed beyond the first round of the playoffs. Their first game is this Saturday at home against Wellesley.

"We beat Wellesley last year in double overtime, but this year we’re playing without both our captains and we’re coming off injuries," Hutchins-Cabibi said. "It’s going to come down to how we feel that day. Hopefully we can dig deep and come up on top."