Memorial field hockey looking for improvement in 2008

Brick Memorial's girls field hockey team wrapped up double-sessions last week under second-year coach Courtney Richardson, who reports a large turnout of 35 tryouts in the early days of season than last year.

"We are definitely making improvements," said Richardson. "Last year, my first year, we were 1-14-2 which was no indication of our season. It was hard to get the girls motivated."

But they managed late in the season to pull out their lone victory over Brick Township. This year, it begins on Sept. 12 at Toms River South.

What enhanced interest, said Richardson, was when she combined her players in a strength and conditioning program with players from the lacrosse team at the school that she also coaches as well as track and softball. It was two one-hour daytime intervals and a one-hour nighttime session each week working with strength coach Cornell Key out of the GoodSports facility.

How much that has further helped the program and its players will unfold on Friday at 10 a.m. when the team plays host to Henry Hudson in a scrimmage at Veterans Memorial Middle School's turf field followed by Sept. 3 at Freehold Township and a home scrimmage on Sept. 9 against Red Bank Catholic.

"We have a lot of girls back from last year, a bunch with varsity experience," said Richardson, who is assisted by Kelly Johnson while Cathy Lowery coaches the junior varsity team. "We need to build the program to be successful and I've come to terms that it won't happen overnight or this year."

The ongoing weaknesses are a lack of stick skills and a shortage of knowledge of the game, said Richardson, who lost four players to graduation and two are playing other sports. The team only scored seven goals, four by senior Daria Siwczak. But she is looking to fire in more, along with senior Giova DiPasqua and sophomores Stephanie Savoie, Renee Pizzuta and Kaitlyn Stanford, who has the inside track on starting based on her fine efforts in practices. Senior Jackie Anderson also is looking to contribute at forward.

Michelle Hoffarth, a senior who got some time in goal behind regular Katie Cottrell, who graduated, is competing with senior Corine Dafeldecker and sophomore Alyssa Hart for the start. The winner will rely on the support of senior defenders Monica Smetts and Kelsey Franklin, who tore her anterior cruciate ligament in a game late last season. Sophomore Christine Wersinger also will look to help in goal.