{"id":1826,"date":"2013-09-21T04:33:36","date_gmt":"2013-09-21T04:33:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/?p=1826"},"modified":"2013-10-11T15:56:03","modified_gmt":"2013-10-11T15:56:03","slug":"fall-sports-hope-face-uncertainty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/2013\/09\/fall-sports-hope-face-uncertainty\/","title":{"rendered":"Fall Sports: Hope in the Face of Uncertainty"},"content":{"rendered":"

While in past years, varsity teams have been optimistic about the start of the season, this year the uncertainty is palpable. Unanswered questions linger about new coaches, injuries, and captains. Here are the most important things you need to know about Fieldston sports going into the school year.<\/p>\n

\"Football\"<\/a>
Photo courtesy of Jacob Cader.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Football<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last Season: 2-4<\/p>\n

Players to Watch: Malik Thompson, Henry Miller<\/p>\n

Replacing eight seniors from the graduating class of 2013 will be hard for this Eagles team.\u00a0 With only one sophomore on the roster and a small group of freshmen, the team will have to work extra hard on the field. \u201cWe need to be in much better shape for the season,\u201d says running back Jack Upton (V). Sam Healy (\u201813)\u00a0 left big shoes to fill at the quarterback position; all eyes are on junior quarterback Henry Miller (V) who will start the season opener on September 7th against Christ the King.<\/p>\n

Miller commented that he is, \u201ctaking control in the huddle and\u2026 setting high expectations for myself and others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malik Thompson (VI) who has taken reps at the running back, cornerback, and the receiver position, is also said to be an emerging force. Thompson said practice during preseason led to his improvement as a player. \u201cI\u2019m much wiser in terms of the way I play the game. I find it easier to position myself at the right place to make the play,\u201d\u00a0 he said.\u00a0Thompson also said he was humbled to be elected team captain.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a special feeling when you know the guys around you have chosen you as\u00a0one of their leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Fieldston football has some questions about the depth of their roster, the team has high hopes with leaders like Henry Miller and Malik Thompson.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Volleyball<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last Season: 13-4<\/p>\n

Players to Watch: The TEAM<\/p>\n

With a stunning record, there are high expectations for this team in the coming season.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mentality is that we always expect to win, and losing should come as a surprise,\u201d says Danielle Sutton (V).<\/p>\n

The team does not expect to lose, and hasn\u2019t thus far. Beating Poly Prep in a pre-season scrimmage, they look prepared to repeat as state champs this year.<\/p>\n

This team has talent, but what separates them from others is teamwork. The bench matters just as much as the players on the court. You can be sure that if someone makes a mistake during a match, it\u2019s on the team and not the individual.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Girls\u2019 Soccer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last Season: 10-8<\/p>\n

Players to Watch:\u00a0 Livi Block, Hanna Kaeser, Chloe Chasanoff<\/p>\n

With star talent from the captains, this Eagles team has many people betting on them to win the Ivy League. Captain Livi Block (VI) said, \u201cI hope to lead by example\u2026 my responsibilities shouldn\u2019t just be demonstrated on the field but in all aspects of our school life because we\u2019re not just playing for the team; we represent the entire Fieldston community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other team members said team chemistry will play an important role in their success during the season. \u201cThere are certain things that need to happen in terms of the team dynamic. We need to be a team that works well with each other. We need to click on the field, and that means it needs to be less about the individual and more about the team as a whole,\u201d said Dalia Wrocherinsky (V).<\/p>\n

The captains may have superb leadership skills, but their talent on the field is not lacking either.\u00a0 With Block\u2019s vision and speed, and Hanna Kaesar\u2019s lethal shot, the Eagles are constantly intimidating defenders. The final captain Chloe Chasanoff also adds a spark to the offense with her ability to score from extreme angles. As Block observes, \u201cher signature pull back move always fakes out the defender.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>
Photo courtesy of Jacob Cader.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Boys Soccer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last Season: 5-10<\/p>\n

Players to Watch:\u00a0 Damian Hardung, Connor Stephens, Declan O\u2019Connor, Ben Gottschalk<\/p>\n

Boy\u2019s soccer has thrived under new coach Seamus McDaid, with an impressive 8-0 victory over Riverdale Kingbridge Academy in their first scrimmage.<\/p>\n

\u201c[McDaid\u2019s philosophy] focuses on ball possession and passing more than the physical aspects of the game,\u201d says sharp shooter Declan O\u2019Connor, form V.<\/p>\n

With the addition of junior Damian Hardung, form V, from Germany, the Eagles have found a new source of speed and quickness.\u00a0 Only standing at 5\u20197 at the right mid position, Hardung is usually the smallest on the field, but as Ben Gottschalk, form V, notes, \u201che has great touch, and he is great at winning the ball back, which creates many opportunities.\u201d\u00a0The rest of the juniors on the Eagles will complement Hardung\u2019s talents, especially midfielder Ben Gottschalk. Gottschalk, along with Handung, has finished first in all the sprints and long distance runs proving to be extremely fit for this year\u2019s season.<\/p>\n

As O\u2019Connor says. \u201cThe best part of Gottschalk\u2019s game is just his natural athleticism and speed,\u201d which will pair nicely with \u201cHandung\u2019s endurance, and the fact that he is one of the few people who will use his weak foot.\u201d This along with O\u2019Connor\u2019s shooting expertise, and Connor Stephens\u2019s strength and overall presence at the defensive end, will make this Eagles team a force to be reckoned with.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Cross Country<\/strong><\/p>\n

Players to Watch: Ben Fitts, Ezra Hornick<\/p>\n

Until this year, kids \u201cwere running cross country just to get out of gym,\u201d observed by sophomore runner Zaj Vidal-Burgie. However, with Head Coach Keeling the team has a new attitude, and is \u201clearning things about running that they never knew before,\u201d says Vidal-Burgie.\u00a0 Ezra Hornick also commented on Coach Keeling saying, \u201cshe is very tough, and is most famous for her ab workouts. She deserves\u00a0a lot of credit for improvements.\u201d<\/p>\n

While there has been much enthusiasm this preseason, there have also been disappointments. One of the best runners on the team, Ben Fitts, form V, suffered a compound fracture on his foot forcing him to watch from the sidelines. This will put pressure on Ezra Hornick, form V, to carry the load. Hornick is currently the fastest on the team running a 4k in 16:30 through the back hills and flats at Van Cortlandt Park.\u00a0 You can attribute Hornick\u2019s improvement to his intense workout consisting of 400 crunches, 100 pushups, and four 800m runs.<\/p>\n

Field Hockey<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last season: 12-3<\/p>\n

Players to Watch: Seniors<\/p>\n

Looking to repeat previous years\u2019 success the Eagles are dedicated and serious about this upcoming season. With only one underclassman (Carmen Cee) the Eagles have many veterans with a lot of experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe seniors especially want to leave the team with pride, and to see our team put up the banner again,\u201d says Sydney Beres, form VI.<\/p>\n

The team has many goals including repeating as AAIS tournament champs. Winning states will be a harder task, but this core of seniors is determined. Seniors hope to leave a legacy and distinguish the team and leave their mark on Fieldston history.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Girls\u2019 Tennis<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last Season: 0-14<\/p>\n

Players to Watch:\u00a0 Emma Kassan<\/p>\n

After a challenging 2012 season, the tennis team is in the rebuilding process. After the departure of head coach Narasimhan Narayanan, the Eagles found the perfect replacement in Coach Mike. \u201cHe has really focused on motivating our team to step it up this year,\u201d says Tally Wick, form V.<\/p>\n

Varsity spots didn\u2019t come easy for juniors or seniors this year, and spots that usually went to upperclassmen because of their age are now going to underclassman because of talent.\u00a0 Playing number one singles this year is sophomore Emma Kassan, form IV. The team has high hopes for the coming season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While in past years, varsity teams have been optimistic about the start of the season, this year the uncertainty is palpable. Unanswered questions linger about new coaches, injuries, and captains. Here are the most important things you need to know about Fieldston sports going into the school year. Football Last Season: 2-4 Players to Watch: Malik Thompson, Henry Miller Replacing eight seniors from the graduating class of 2013 will be hard for this Eagles team.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":1878,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[],"coauthors":[35],"class_list":["post-1826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-slider"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Sports-Cover.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1826"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1826\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1857,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1826\/revisions\/1857"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1826"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=1826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}