The 2009 season will be an historic one for the Hood College
field hockey team as the Blazers kick off their inaugural campaign
on a brand new artificial playing surface. Head coach Staci Brennan
and the Blazers will showcase the College’s new turf field to
10 opponents, including four Capital Athletic Conference rivals,
beginning with the 14-time defending conference champion Salisbury
University Sea Gulls on Sept. 1.
Brennan’s squad of four seniors, three juniors, four
sophomores and seven freshmen has demonstrated a solid work ethic
and, after only a handful of practices, is already coming together
as a unit.
For the Blazers to effectively make the transition to a
“turf team”, Brennan and her staff have challenged the
team to incorporate additional conditioning, implement different
strategies and expand their skill set. As a result, the coaching
staff has witnessed the team improving their communication with one
another which will undoubtedly set the stage for success this
fall.
Brennan is fortunate to have four seniors to guide her young
squad, all of whom have started since their freshman year. Forward
Brandy Noel, midfielders Lauren Perzan and Sarah Balukoff and
defender Jen Graham will all provide leadership at their respective
positions.
Noel, a tri-captain, enters her final season with the Blazers in
third place on Hood’s career scoring chart and needs just
three points to pass Kelli Jessum ’99 for second place. The
native of Severn, Md., paced the Blazers with six tallies and two
assists last season and lists second all-time in goals.
Perzan and Balukoff, Hood’s two other captains, will be
called upon to set the tempo in transition. Perzan appeared in nine
of Hood’s 14 contests last season and is anxious to close out
her career at full strength this fall. She has a good eye for the
field and is a smart passer. Balukoff is a vital cog at center back
whose infectiously positive attitude holds the team together. She
is a force at both ends of the field and as a sophomore was among
the CAC leaders in defensive saves.
A strong, vocal leader, Graham has a knack for anticipating well at the right midfield spot and also boasts a powerful hit. She excels at clearing the ball and does not shy away from tackling back.
Junior Patsy Davis will spearhead the defense. Davis
demonstrates excellent defensive positioning and hustle and clears
the ball out of the circle with ease.
Supplementing Hood’s front line will be sophomore Maria
Smith and junior Katelyn Bramkamp. Smith appeared in all 14 games
last season and scored a pair of goals. Despite her small frame,
she is fast, aggressive and deflects the ball well. A native of
Pittsburgh, Bramkamp joined the squad last season with limited
playing experience but is a very coachable player who is athletic
and has good speed.
Other veterans for the Blazers include sophomores Jacquie LeMar,
Sam Liptrap and Amanda Blakeslee. Liptrap and Blakeslee appeared in
all 14 games in 2008 while LeMar missed the season opener against
Marywood but started the remaining 13 contests. Liptrap listed
second in scoring as a freshman with three goals and an assist
while LeMar assisted on goals by Liptrap and Noel. Blakeslee clears
the ball well, has a strong stick and could be used on corners this
fall.
Brennan has added five newcomers, Michelle Buhrman, Megan Cahill, Casey Carmen, Ashley Darling and Miriah Stone, who will challenge the veteran field players for a spot in the starting lineup.
Buhrman has solid stick skills on defense. Cahill, who also ran
track at Gov. Thomas Johnson High School, is extremely athletic has
the potential to convert breakaway opportunities for the Blazers.
Carmen hails from Bel Air, Md. and is a coachable athlete who has
shown solid dodging ability. Darling is a product of Queen
Anne’s County High School and will add depth to the Blazer
defensive unit. Stone’s aggressiveness and nifty deflections
have impressed the staff in the early going and could earn her a
starting role up front.
Following the graduation of starting keeper Jen Lacy last May, the door is open for one of three young goalies to shine in the cage. Junior Anne Marie Hantman has appeared in seven games throughout her two-year career in the blue and gray and has racked up 40 saves. She is a hard worker who has shown solid fundamentals and is very team-oriented. Joining Hantman in the fight for the starting position in the cage are two newcomers, Cathryn Mills and Kaitlin McCloskey. McCloskey was a three-year starter at St. Elizabeth High School in Wilmington, Del. At 5-9, Mills is a force in the cage and makes good stick saves.
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