09/05/2008
2008 Field Hockey Season Preview

Although the Clark University field hockey team face a couple of obstacles entering the 2008 campaign - including the loss of team leading scorer Lauren Blake, an All-Region and All-NEWMAC selection, to studies abroad and just one senior on the roster - head coach Linda Wage has no intentions of throwing in the towel. The veteran coach believes that the 12 letter-winners and seven starters back, along with nine newcomers, have shown flashes of preseason promise and timely team unity.

"Our junior class realizes it's their time to step up and be leaders," says Wage. "They've had tremendous experience on the field since freshman year - many of them as starters. In addition, we brought in a big, talented class with two transfers and seven first-years. We just have to pull them all together."

"Luckily, they are a unified team already," she adds. "There is a camaraderie they have that we've been missing the last couple of years. The positive effect is going to make the difference this year."

Last season, the Cougars posted a 7-10 record, placed sixth in the NEWMAC (2-6) and advanced to the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. They set new school marks in game points (28), game goals (11), and game assists (7), and topped the league in total saves (173).

"We made some improvements last year," Wage says, "But we're always trying to build on our record. Our focus is going to be on defense. If we can stop teams from scoring, it's going to give us the opportunity to be in every game."

The Cougars appear to be stacked in the back with the return of junior tri-captain Carley Corkum. Top candidates to join the two-time NEWMAC All-Star include junior Gloria Torres, sophomore Kate Condon, a transfer from the University of Rhode Island, and first-year Rebecca Hertz, a first-team All-County player from Thomas S. Wootton (Md.) High School. Newcomer Katherine Rowe, the Colorado Springs Gazette Player of the Year, should also play a key role. Junior Alison Foley and sophomore Amalia Dapkiewicz will give the team valuable minutes off the bench.

After relinquishing her starting role midway through last season, junior Kathryn Dawsey is back as Clark's top goalkeeper. "She worked hard in the off-season, even playing in Argentina last summer," Wage says. "We're hoping she'll have a break-out season." Sophomore Katelyn McGrath, who finished first overall in saves per game in the conference, will be a capable back-up, while rookie Alex Clark, a standout goalie from Portland (Me.) High School, is being groomed for the position.

Led by junior tri-captain Anne Marie DiMatteo, the Cougars welcome an imposing midfield lineup that includes newcomer Erin Murphy - a former all-star from Acton-Boxboro's Division I State Championship team - and junior Lauren DeMetro. Though DiMatteo and Murphy both transition from defense to the midfield this season, their speed, conditioning level and passing skills have already proven to be an advantage, while DeMetro's elevated play has been a plus. First-year Elizabeth Keller is also in contention for playing time.

Wage's biggest concern is up front, where the Cougars must fill the void left by the departure of Blake (17-8-42). "Lauren is a huge loss," she said. "The 42 points that she scored last year is a big hole that we have to try and fill. We have to manufacture offense any way we can."

Juniors Precious Ra'Akbar (4-1-9) and Chelsea Proulx (7-2-16) are back to give Clark a strong one-two scoring punch up front. A pair of former defenders, senior tri-captain Madeleine Henefield and first-year Meghan Lennon, a Southern WorcesterCounty League All-Star, will add plenty of offensive firepower. Sophomore Sasha Burgess and newcomers Mary Nugent and Maureen Coakley are also expected to make a contribution.

"We are hoping that our midfielders are focused on getting more offensive and take a little pressure off the forward line," Wage says. "At the same time, we expect our forwards to be very aggressive and try to work as a team to put the ball in the goal."

This year, Clark will once again face a demanding NEWMAC schedule that features an NCAA Tournament team (Springfield) and ECAC New England Tournament squad (Wheaton). While Wage realizes the challenges of competing against the "cream of the crop," she's ready for her program to take the next step.

"We've taken a few baby steps over the last couple of years," Wage says. "We have a lot of new players this year, so even though our expectations are high, we want to be realistic. We're just trying to continue to improve and get to the level where we can play our best hockey.