Date: Fri 08-Sep-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: KIMH

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

Field-Hockey-Preview-1995

Full Text:

Field Hockey Preview 1995

One would think that after the season the Newtown High School field hockey

team had in 1994 - 0-12-3 with just three goals finding the opponent's cage -

that the practice field behind the high school would be a veritable wasteland

as players stayed away in droves to avoid a repeat of that embarrassment.

Quite the contrary, however. More than 50 players showed up for practice last

week, many of them with extensive winter league and summer camp experience and

all of them with the enthusiasm to shake the sport out of its doldrums.

" I'm glad to see the enthusiasm on this team, " said third-year coach Lisa

Poirier as her team prepared for a scrimmage at Shepaug. " I think we learned

a lot from last year. "

Without dwelling too much on some of the painful memories of 1994, the Lady

Indians struggled mightily just to find the cage and although the defense held

up well in nearly all of the games, without any goals there was no way the

team would have been able to win.

Of the three the team tallied a year ago, two belonged to departed senior

Antonia Militano. The last was owned by All-WCC player Melissa Araya, who

played winter ball in Hamden and summer ball with a Cape Cod team and who

should provide a scoring punch.

" We're going to try and change our offensive attack, " said Miss Poirier, "

work on the forwards a little more. We also want to work on a few different

strategies and make us more aggressive on offense. "

The team has nowhere to go but up and the climb is not far. As coach Poirier

said, " We only have to win one game to improve, " and with a solid crew

returning, with the experience it gained, that should not be hard.

The Lady Indians only lost the services of their tri-captains Audra Griss,

Tina Larivierre, and Janna Bell, but those losses will sting a bit as all

three were workhorses on defense and in the midfield.

But returning to the team, along with Araya, will be co-captains Meg

Smialowski and Christina Donigian, sweeper and fullback Liz Glaser, Krista

Halstead and Brooke Stiewing, forwards Alicia Wickson and Kate Zimmerman

(joining Araya and Smialowski), Amanda Giannini and goaltenders Jill

Swiatowicz and Erica Christopher.

The team - which numbered 53 - features 15 freshman, giving coach Poirier

something to look forward to. And that, coupled with the experience the

returning girls gave themselves in the off season, should have the Lady

Indians on some firm footing when the 1995 season opens Wednesday against

Masuk. The footing gets a little bit firmer, too, after considering that the

new South-West Conference does not feature any new competition in field

hockey. None of the schools from the old CCIAC, which is merging with the WCC

this fall, plays field hockey.

" We're very excited for this season, " coach Poirier admitted.

And with good reason. Spending a lot of time working in the off season has

done more than one team a whole lot of good. The Lady Indians saw first hand

what playing winter ball could do for a team, as the Masuk Pantherettes,

coming off a horrendous 1993 season in which they won just one game,

challenged for a spot in the 1994 WCC Final Four after spending their off

season playing.

But even with the huge numbers, the slew of freshman, and the confident

outlook, the Lady Indians' goals remain modest for the 1995 season - they have

to. " Win a game, " said coach Poirier. " That's it, at first. We want to keep

the kids happy and keep improving on last year. We want to be able to compete.

" Considering the foundation the girls built for themselves last November,

that shouldn't be hard at all.