When asked about the 2021 Fall field hockey season, players and coaches said it was “Exciting, exhilarating, intense, and successful.” The season has been a tough one and it has been hard-fought. It was the first season since covid and players and coaches have had ups and downs. The team’s record was 10-4 going into the last week of the regular season. All in all, this year’s field hockey season has been an eventful one.
A team is nothing without a good and experienced leader, luckily, field hockey certainly has that. Coach Diane Toth has played lots of field hockey in her life and she has been coaching field hockey for 39 years. 22 of those years have been at Fieldston. Coach Toth has coached at small colleges, public and private high schools, and even in the USA Field Hockey Olympic Development Program. Toth’s coaching resume is beyond impressive but beyond that, she also is a certified field hockey umpire. Her first field hockey game she umpired was a Horace Mann game in the 1980s. Coach Toth is very knowledgeable about the game and has definitely contributed to the fact that field hockey has the most championships at Fieldston. The field hockey program would look immensely different without Toth at the helm.
A coach is an important leader of a team but so are the captains. The captains of the varsity field hockey team are Abby Trapp (VI) and Naomi Schatz (VI). Both are seniors and dynamic people on and off the field. When asked what her biggest challenges of being captain were, Schatz said, “The biggest challenge, as a captain and player, has been returning to the sport after a whole year of not playing. Preseason served as a refresher course on the skills that were a bit rusty, as well as how to effectively communicate as a team.” Covid has definitely impacted sports but this was just another added obstacle to this season of field hockey. When Trapp was asked what her biggest challenge as a captain was, she said “This year the team can nearly field three whole teams, so making sure everyone feels supported and included has been difficult. I wanted to create a competitive and fun environment where all my teammates could grow their skills and the team could collectively. I hope that all my teammates felt that this season was an important part of their high school experience and made some amazing memories.” This year’s field hockey program was among one of the largest and this was definitely a big challenge. Covid and large numbers have created more obstacles for the field hockey team but Schatz and Trapp have done a great job leading their team past them.
A season would not be complete without its fair share of positive and negative moments. Moments when stress levels are high and the game is close. When asked what their favorite moment of the season was, Coach Toth and the two captains of varsity field hockey all said the same thing, the homecoming game against Hackley. Captain Abby Trapp (VI) said, “The homecoming game was the most exciting game I have ever played, which is all thanks to my coaches and teammates.” Captain Naomi Schatz (VI) said, “My favorite moment of the season was seeing the grit and determination on the field during our homecoming game against Hackley. Although it, unfortunately, ended in a loss, our team truly left it all on the field, and at the end of the day, that’s all you can ask for.” The homecoming game was against Hackley which has a tremendous field hockey team and program. Earlier in the season Hackley and Fieldston played and Hackley won 4-0. The rematch was set for Fieldston’s homecoming. The stage was large, the stakes were high and the energy was up. The game was hard fought for 4 quarters, when in the last minutes of the 4th quarter, Hackley scored. The final score was 1-0 and it was a heartbreaking loss for Fieldston. But in the loss, there was a positive attitude. Coach Toth said, “Although we lost 1-0, the game was played with so much intensity, and team play. Every player on the field and the bench bought into my philosophy of playing each game as if it was your last one. The passing was superb, the defense was aggressive yet poised, the goalkeeping was in sync, and the offense was a glorious display of unity…….. Every part of the game was exciting and I think, in their minds, the players understood that when they all play to their potential, and together as a team, the results will be terrific.” Even though there was a loss added to Fieldston’s record it was a game that will definitely be remembered by coaches, players and fans as an impressive and thrilling game.
“Exciting, exhilarating, joyous, intense, successful.” These are all words players and coaches used to describe the 2021 season of field hockey. The season has been impressive so far but there’s still more to come. The regular season wrapped up Wednesday the 27th. The team is incredibly happy with the outcome of a strong season despite its many obstacles.
