Stevens Ducks Field Hockey

Halloween Scrimmage

2010-11-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

Every year we have a Halloween Scrimmage. It’s a practice where we all get to dress up and play in our costumes. Groups of us tend to pick themes and all dress up as characters from the same movie or tv show.
My group this year did Star Wars. We decided about a month ago what our theme was going to be and who was going to be what. Laura was going to be Yoda because she loves him, that’s a little bit of an understatement. Ellyn was going to be Jabba because she’s got the goalie pads to fluff her up a bit, Lauren was darth vader, Jill was R2D2 and I was Princess Leia. Jill made her costume out of a round cardboard box and looked hysterical. Watching her play was even funnier. She couldn’t see her feet or the ball for that matter. My costume was pretty simple to make, the hardest part was doing my hair. I ended up putting lofus in my hair to make poufy buns. Yup that’s right, shower lofus.
Another group of Fhocers did SpongeBob. Marguerite was Patrick and used her hair to make the fifth arm of the star. Rachel was SpongeBob. Her costume was also made out of cardboard. When she went against R2D2 it was the funniest thing ever. Both of them were reaching with their sticks but the majority of the time could only manage to kick the ball, if they touched it at all. Mary was Plankton and Caroline was Sandy.
The Rugrats also made an appearance at practice. Yes they were in diapers. Sam Karen Mel and Worm were all babies, and Krysten turned her goalie uniform into Reptar.
There were three M&Ms. Caitlin, Chelsea, and Katie were the yellow, blue, and red M&Ms.
Another group was an iPod commercial. Lena was dressed as an iPod, Megan and Grace were her two headphones. And Mary B was the crazy dancer from all the commercials.
Coach Jess definitely had the best costume of the day. She came into the locker room dressed as our very own Grace. Cornrows, mouth guard, #26 uniform and all. She played with us too.
All in all it was a great practice. Many of us could barely possess the ball but it was still a really fun day.
Now we are preparing for the upcoming weekend, Empire 8 Championships! Hope to see you all there.
Mallory

Stevens v. W&J

2010-10-18T06:15:00.000-07:00

I have no voice… Successful weekend in Pittsburgh

On Friday afternoon we departed for our long away trip to Pittsburgh to play Washington and Jefferson for Saturday morning. The trip was really long particularly because there was loads of anticipation. Not only was this a huge conference game for us, but we also had a full weekend consisting of a visit to a scarehouse and dinner at the Spaghetti Warehouse.
Our long trip began with watching tons of fun movies on the bus ride including Charlie’s Angels, Zoolander, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I enjoy napping on the bus so I admit that I didn’t watch all of them!
When we finally arrived in Pittsburgh we went right to dinner. It was delicious! I got to sit at a table with my sister, Karen, and Mel. It was nice to sit down and have dinner with the seniors on the team (it doesn’t normally happen). We stuffed our faces but not too much because we wanted to be ready for the scarehouse.
The scarehouse we went to is one of the best in the country. We went there as a team the last time we were in Pittsburgh and it was absolutely terrifying! The link to the scarehouse is at http://www.scarehouse.com/ . I knew what was to come, but I will admit that I still screamed A LOT.
Saturday morning comes around and we are set to play W&J at 10am. The team was extremely pumped to play this game, because we’ve played W&J in the conference championship for the past two years AND they were undefeated in conference this year. The game proved to meet our expectations. It was an extremely competitive game. They scored first on us. Even though I hate getting scored on, I will admit that their goal was good. We answered right back in the first half with Mary Nikish scoring on a corner. The second half was played in both sides of the field. The excitement came at the end of the game. W&J got a corner against us with no time left in regulation. They took a shot that was deflected high and one of their players raised her stick and batted the ball into the goal. W&J stormed the field and began cheering. The official originally called it a goal to end the game but I immediately went up to her after she made the call to argue against it saying that it wasn’t legal. Luckily, the other official agreed with me and the goal was taken back… meaning we were now about to start overtime! W&J got corners against us but the defense played great so we were able to deny them the golden goal that would’ve ended the game. A few minutes later in the overtime, Caitlin “Cali” Chamberlain got a breakaway against the other team but was tripped from behind in the circle. Therefore, the official awarded us a penalty stroke. Mallory stepped up to take the stroke and scored! It was a beautiful stroke and ended the game! We were so excited, because it was a great game that could’ve gone either way but we were able to get it done.
I could not be more proud of our performance… I’m not even mad that I lost my voice this weekend! 

The Professional Blogger on the Team & Goalie,
Ellyn

FDU

2010-10-01T11:02:00.001-07:00

Wednesday morning, the team woke up and prepared for our sixth game of the season against FDU. We went onto the field and went through our standard warm up. The game began and we played with everything we had. The ducks scored on a pretty corner but were unable to hold the lead with less than ten minutes left in the game. The game went into overtime, down to two minutes and ten seconds when the referees had to stop the game for lightning! The coaches got together and decided to finish the game on Thursday afternoon.

Thursday morning crept by slowly as our thoughts were focused on the game to come. So the excitement only built when we learned that they have to start the game exactly where they left off, in the first overtime period with 2:10 left on the clock. Almost as soon as the first whistle was blown to restart the game, the announcer said, “only one minute remains in the first overtime period.” After the ducks got their initial jitters out, we came out strong in the second overtime. Within the first seven minutes, Stevens scored on a perfect corner sending FDU back on the bus home with a defeat 2-1!!

- Sam

Ithaca

2010-10-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

Conference games are always the most important games of the season. If we win enough conference games we will get to participate in the conference tournament, and winning that will take us to the NCAAs. The conference games are the only games that really count! Our first conferee opponent was Ithaca. It was definitely a great game. Both teams wanted to win so badly, and neither team ever gave up the fight to score.

At half time the score was still 0-0 but the Ducks clearly had the advantage in shots and corner opportunities. All we needed was to wear down the goalie and one would fall. The first tally of the game came on a corner. Grace inserted the ball to Karen who passed to me on her right. A defender quickly came in front of me. Without the opportunity to rip a shot, I did a little lift over her stick to send the ball towards the goal. But that ball didn't stop. It rolled in slow motion right past the goalie and into the cage. It wasn't a pretty goal by any means, but it was my first one of the season and it felt great. It was probably scored because of the bowling we did the night before. The team went bowling in the basement of Howe and I did a great job of getting the ball around the pins. Only difference was that wasn't what I was trying to do.

The second goal came less than 2 min later when Lauren earned us an offensive stroke. She was winding up for a shot with no defenders back to stop her, but one hacked her stick from behind. My roommate Jill stepped up to take the stroke. She scored no problem. Hitting the side board. We all celebrated. Being up 2-0 was awesome.

However the Refs were stroke happy it turned out. We then got 2 strokes called against us almost back to back. No biggie though. Ellyn LOVES strokes. She saved them both, making it look easy; which I can guarantee you it's not. Although Ithaca did score one goal to end the game 2-1 it we were still all thrilled with the win. One more bombers team defused and one more step towards the Empire 8 championship.

-Mal

TCNJ

2010-10-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

The Stevens Field Hockey Team started off their 2010 season on September 1st with our first game against The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). This was an exciting time for the whole team. We traveled down to Trenton, NJ for our first away trip of the season. It was the freshman's first collegiate game and there was great anticipation of who would have those 11 starting positions on the field. The whole team was excited and pumped up to have the opportunity of playing this top ranked team as the season opener. The game started with a lot of intensity from both teams. Our goalkeeper Ellyn Griggs made a great play early in the game by stopping a breakaway and taking out a TCNJ player to deny her of a goal. TCNJ out shot us the first half by 3 shots but we were able to keep them scoreless and went into halftime tied 0-0. We talked during halftime of what we had to do as a team to dominate this game and come out with a win. We needed to get the ball into our offense and generate some shots. We wanted to win and we had the confidence of beating this team. We had a lot more opportunities on offense the second half, generating 2 offensive corners, but TCNJ was able to score in the 61st minute of the game. We unfortunately could not tie the game up within the last 9 minutes of the game so TCNJ came out with the win. We were happy with how we played as a team, especially for our first game of the season and while playing a very skilled top ranked team. We knew we still had a lot of kinks to work out and we knew what we would have to work on to try to fix our mistakes and to come out on top in the following games. This game showed a lot of heart and intensity from a lot of players on this team and it was a great way to start off the season!

Let Go Ducks!!!

-Karen Federico

Preseason 2010

2010-10-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

On August 18th, the Stevens Field Hockey team reported for preseason. Most of the team moved in that day minus a few teammates who stayed in Hoboken for the summer. So after move-in we had a team meeting where we went over details for the season and then got to play a name game! Since it wasn’t the easiest to remember everyone’s names (even though we are attending a tech school) it was really helpful. After that we had our first dinner as a team at Panera, which I was lucky enough to have TWO times that day since my parents took me to lunch there before leaving to go back home. So after dinner I finished unpacking and went to sleep to get ready for our first practice.
Our team came in great shape to preseason which is always a plus! Getting up for 7 AM practices every day and then having another session later in the day left the team to be best friends with the ice bath! As a freshman who had never taken an ice bath before, I learned it really does help your aching muscles!

Preseason was plenty of fun! We had many team activities and learned the basics of how the system works. The team really showed we understood the concepts very quickly, individually everyone was improving - even after the first session. We concentrated on hits and you should see how powerful our hits are now! During preseason we also went in the pool one day and played a fun version of water polo, which was very humorous with our team. We really are a competitive bunch. We all worked super hard in preseason so it would pay off in the season. GO DUCKS!

Freshman- Caroline (a.k.a. Baby)

End of Season, Part 1

2010-05-03T11:32:00.001-07:00

Spring Season 2010 – Week 4

The last day of practice was relaxed but productive as we prepared for the spring tournament at Western Connecticut. We had split into our two teams for a scrimmage the night before, and did so again on Friday to practice offensive and defensive corners. We also did my favorite thing, take strokes on the goalies! There’s something about being able to fake out a goalie and get the ball in the cage that makes it so much fun. The smack talk between us field players and the goalies probably has something to do with it too - no wagers this time. We then had a quick meeting after practice to wrap things up. I can't believe how quickly spring season went by - definitely bittersweet, but we were all pretty excited, or as we like to put it, “ready to rage” for Sunday!

Sunday morning we all woke up early to get breakfast and were ready to leave by 7:30 am. It was raining and cold but as Ducks do, we adjusted to the weather, because after all, Ducks love when it's wet! Following a quiet bus ride, we arrived at Western Connecticut, gathered our things and got ready to play. Midgey’s team (Stevens 1) played first, while my team (Stevens 2) rooted them on. They played well, but unfortunately lost that game on account of undeclared field markings. Whatever. That would be their only loss in pool play on the day. Stevens 1 went on to defeat an alumni team and Ramapo to win their pool and earn the #2 seed in the tournament. In the last game, the girls rallied for the win in a last minute scoring rampage, including an awesome reverse chip shot from Jill! It was pretty sweet!

Jess’s team, Stevens 2, went into the first game against the West Conn Alumni and won the game by a large margin - Lauren had 3 goals! We went undefeated in pool play, earning the #1 seed of the tournament. A quick intermission happened between games and my team played first in the 1v4 game against Southern Connecticut, who we had previously beaten in pool play. Despite being tired, we played well, but lost 3-1. Midgey’s team played next in the 2v3 game and played a great game but also unfortunately came out on the losing side too. Kudos to the other team's goalie for saving some sick shot. This meant that both teams were done (single game elimination crossover) but everyone had fun and got a ton of playing time. We improved throughout the day and you could see the work we've done over the past month has really been paying off!

The bus ride home for me was the realization that season was over until August. We all had improved so much and played so well, it made going to practice each day fun and interesting to see everyone's growth. All the fitness sessions with Meris suddenly didn’t seem so bad. As I’m sitting here writing this, it’s weird to think I don’t have to prepare for practice soon. I got back into the groove of season so much that I woke up on Monday morning at 6:15am, got dressed for practice... then realized I didn’t have practice. Weird. I wonder how many other teammates did the same thing. I'm excited for next season, so I say, bring it on!

<3 Meghan Broderick (Sophomore)

Spreading the Love

2010-04-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

Spring Season 2010 – Week 3

Not only do we like to kick butt on the field hockey field, we also like to give back to the community we live in. We have a bunch of great activities planned and last Friday we went to a local soup kitchen in Hoboken. It was a great bonding experience for the entire team! Some girls were stuffing envelopes while others were neatly placing clothes on tables and serving food. But I’m almost positive everyone was singing along to the sweet jams in the background, especially Love Train. “People all over the world, join hands, start a love train.”

The next day we helped the Athletics staff by table sitting for the Stevens Men’s Lacrosse game. It was a great game versus RIT - A nail biter right until the end. Even though we lost, the ducks gave it all they had. Keep your head up guys and get ‘em next time!
It was a delight to see the incoming freshmen on Sunday for the President’s Tea - 13 showed up!! The current team made sure to get together, so we could all meet up with the recruits we hosted this past fall and winter, even spring. I can’t wait to see what they bring to the table next year. We are a great looking group of girls and we can only keep getting better.

Until next time, remember to spread the love! Join hands and start a love train.
- Nicole Pfeil

Alumni Game 4.16.10

2010-04-19T09:14:00.001-07:00

Oldie But a Goodie [taken in Fall 2005]

This past Friday was our first legitimate Alumni scrimmage in program history. We were joined by Missy Scott & Cat (Titus) Freeman from the class of 2007, and Beth Rychcik (class of 2008) – all members of the original team back in 2004! Cat even brought her 6 month old daughter, Claire … definitely the cutest baby I have ever seen. For Real. Ever! Can’t say no to those baby blues.

Our more recent alumni representatives included Megan Clifford, Jessie Ablonczy & Erin Broderick - from this year’s team, and Myself (Midge), Kerri, Casey & Hillary - from the ’08 team. Elena Vazquez drove out from Reading, PA to play in addition to Steph Varjan, Allison “Worm” Basile, Lauren “Gutz” and Katie “Mo”schel also joining in on the fun. Between the lot of us, there was plenty of smack talk circulating … regardless of the results we were bound to have some laughs – too bad Ellyn & Worm were put on the same team.

The game was initially delayed due to thunder during our handball warm-up, so we had Alison, our trainer, stalk the radar until we got an open window to play. In the meanwhile we shared stories from the “early days” of Stevens Field Hockey. Some of my more fond memories included recounting our Moravian game, Missy’s list of team goals from 2004 (how many times can we get the ball over the 50, not to get scored on in the double digets, etc), and Hillary’s rage game – which she may or may not remember. I also organized a Who’s Who list, where the answers to most questions were different Alum’s names. This was meant to encourage current players to meet alumni, have them help figure out answers, and trigger reminiscence.

When we finally got outside, it was chilly and rainy, but once we got running you couldn’t feel it. In the first half teams were mixed and white was up 3-0 at half – sweet goals Bill! Go White! Then the alumni challenged the currents … didn’t work out as well as we planned, but I can’t complain, it was a good time. I think the girls had a good showing – really impressive to see what a few years has done! Currents came up with the ‘W’ but the alumni got to go out afterward, so everyone came out a ‘winner’ on the night.

Can’t wait for next year! Alums are coming back strong!!

<3 Midge

Is it really Half-way over?

2010-04-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

Spring Season 2010– Week 2

As spring season flies by we approach our tournament- it’s bittersweet. Today one teammate even said, “Wow, we’re in our third week already?!” Time has truly flown by. Each week our skills increase and bonds grow stronger. We have moved past practicing basics to incorporating more advanced skills.

Practices, whether at 7am or 8 at night, are always eventful. Last week coach was sick (hope you’re feeling better Jess), and thankfully our volunteers & Midge ran practice. The drills were so fun and different from what we are used to – nice ideas Daniel! It was a great experience to practice our skills in new ways. Our volunteers are constantly helping the team (Thanks guys!); they teach us new tricks and help perfect our old ones. We’re a lucky bunch – love our volunteers! As the weeks have gone by I have noticed each person improving, our hits are hard and low, our zone is getting stronger each day, and each player is becoming more versatile. Like our new mission says, “We play to win through our dedication, discipline, and confidence.”

We have all finally gotten in our groove of being able to balance field hockey and school work. Even though the week is busy, it’s always fun. Sadly spring season will be coming to a close soon and finals will begin – at least we still have 2 weeks left. Luckily, before finals start we meet the incoming freshmen at The President’s Tea (next weekend already?) and are reminded of field hockey fun to come. We’re really looking forward to meeting our future teammates… any chance to take our minds off school and reminisce about FHOCing! It will also be a fabulous chance to become friends with them, then later stalk them on Facebook… just kidding ;-) We are all super excited to meet the new girls and start season again. I have a feeling summer is going to fly by just like this spring has been … we’ll all be back in pre-season before we know it.

(Written by Freshman, Cat Jaronczyk)

New Beginnings

2010-04-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

Spring Season 2010 – Week 1

Every year, we say goodbye to a few familiar faces before the start of spring season– always bittersweet. In addition to our adored seniors, this group includes our beloved Assistant Coach Val. We are sad she will no longer be with us on a day-to-day basis, but are confident our bond will not fade. We are all so excited for her future with Keith and wish her lots of luck with her bundle of joy on the way! Team Baby #2! On a lighter note, we were recently informed that a handful of incoming freshman were accepted in Stevens’ Early Decision process. Congratulations and Welcome to the Stevens Field Hockey Family Ladies!!! Can’t wait for you all to get here!

We are all getting back into the groove of practice in addition to school work. The off-season was nice and relaxing, but there’s nothing like being on the field again with your team and coaches… Even if it’s at 7am. Our spring focus has a ‘back to basics’ feel, as we’ve been revisiting the mechanics of proper field hockey form and technique. So, not only will we be amazing, but our tricky skills will be so much more refined! While we’re getting back to basics, the team has undertaken the task of updating our mission statement. Our goal is to nip and tuck the program’s vision to captures the current attitude of the team. This way, we can add to the legacy set before us, with our own flair. It’s a new generation of Stevens FHOCers!!!!

Check back in next week for an update on Week 2!

Until then…

(<3 Freshman, Mary Baldeon)

CONGRATS LIZ!!!

2010-04-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

Great news spread like wildfire across the pond from Paris, France to Hoboken, NJ ... Liz is officially off the market! If you want to know details, you gotta go to the source. We just wanted to express a big CONGRATULATIONS to our Tri-Captain, Right Back and Dark Lord!!!

WE LOVE YOU VOLDIE!!!

Academic Awards

2010-04-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

(March 26, 2010) – The Stevens Institute of Technology field hockey team continued its run of academic honors as the team received the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Team Academic Award for the sixth-straight season. In addition to the team award, seven team members were named to the 2009 Gladiator by SGI/NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad.

Sixth-year Head Field Hockey Coach Jessica Reed and her teams have received the academic team award every year since 2004 – the first year field hockey was a varsity sport at Stevens. The group combined for the 3.22 grade-point average in the fall – well above the 3.0 requirement for the team award.

Six freshmen and one junior were named to the National Academic Squad, which honors student-athletes who achieve a grade-point average of 3.30 or higher during the fall semester. Stevens has now had 54 student-athletes named to the team in program history. Junior Ellyn Griggs earned the honor for the third time and freshmen Mary Baldeon, Laura Cerito, Mary Nikish, Nicole Pfeil, Christina Sedberry, and Samantha Weisman all received the honor for the first time.

“Our team puts in a great deal of work both in and out of the classroom,” said Coach Reed. “We had a very successful season on the field and it is great to see their hard work in the classroom rewarded and acknowledged.”

Stevens submitted a perfect Empire 8 season for the second year in a row, winning the conference title, and advancing to the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship. The Ducks finished with an overall mark of 17-4 and are 36-8 over the last two seasons.

- Rob Kulish (Stevens Sports Information Director)

Indoor Play

2010-03-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

Since NCAA’s the Stevens Fhoc team hadn’t seen as much of each other or gotten a chance to play together. It’s was a long wait until spring season, so a group of us joined an indoor field hockey league. Saturday mornings 10 of us pile into Erin Langan's minivan and Casey Scherck’s car to make the 30 minute journey to Morristown, NJ. There we meet up with Rebecca, a Montclair player that we have accepted into our family. While we are there, we play one game of 2 20 minute halves with a 5 minute half time.

Our team has been playing really well. We won 3 of our 4 games so far. We won the first game 9-0 and resorted to switching positions to keep from making an even larger scoring differential. The next game we dominated again, ending with a 7-0 score. Our first loss came against a really good team named "Sussex 2." We lost 0-4. The following week we made up for it by beating their sister team, "Sussex Plum," 6-0. The game vs. Sussex Plum was an exciting one. Sam W. scored on a stroke and Casey scored her first goal ever!!!!

The indoor games were a lot of fun. Stevens Fhoc really enjoyed getting to play together again especially with the special people who are joining us. As I am sure you all know Casey Scherck is one of our alumni. She’s a ridiculously great defender and it was awesome having her play with us again and give us pointers. It was also a really fun experience to get to play with Rebecca because she brought new ideas to the field... and we got to tease her about beating Montclair this past fall. Another player we played with was Karen Federico, who is returning to our team this spring after dealing with shin problems. I only had a chance to play with her for a few weeks my freshman year before she became injured and it was a lot of fun playing with her again.

The Indoor Team Members are: Ellyn Griggs, Lauren Griggs, Mary Baldeon, Meghan Broderick, Erin Langan, Christina Sedberry, Sam Weisman, Rebecca Dobiesz, Casey Scherck, Karen Frederico, and myself, Mallory Swanson... SEE YOU IN THE SPRING!

FHOC ANNUAL BANQUET BONANZA!

2010-02-12T13:38:00.000-08:00

Whenever banquet time rolls around, it is always a very bittersweet occasion. It is always nice to reunite with the Duck family of course; however, it is also one of the last full group gatherings of the Field Hockey bunch – including the seniors. This year, as usual, we recognized all of the team’s accomplishments as well as those of the fan’s (including the top fans – my Mom’s canavan of people to games actually won part of the top fans – WOOOT MOM!).
I’ll give a very brief run-through of the events that occurred on that morning. Since all of us LOVE to eat, the banquet commenced with the seniors families going to the buffet first, followed by seniors, which then went onto the families of all players, and concluded with the eating of the players. We have a very special tradition where the wonderful families throw a tailgate for us after every game, and after each and every game, the families wait to eat/tailgate until us, players, eat first (even waiting for slow-pokes like me to get changed). So, at the banquet, we recognize that fact and wait on our families who have always waited on us.
After we filled our bellies, Coach Reed talked and then let us players talk about the wonderful group of seniors we have this year (Jessie Ablonczy, Kara Borzillo, Erin Broderick, Megan Clifford, and Liz Zmijewski). We gave our speeches, all of which praised the seniors for being the awesome people they are…but not forgetting to add humor to it because that’s how we always are.
During the speeches that us FHOCers give to the seniors, we also give them a scrapbook so they have the bestest pictures/memories of their time here on this team. Included in the scrapbooks were pictures from Halloween, team trip to Argentina, chubby bunny contests, team pictures, as well as a few pictures of a certain teammate just being plain evil. Items like these I think are the most rewarding to make because it lets us give the upperclassmen a token that they can always keep to remember the times they’ve had here at Stevens.
And, to keep the entertainment going, there were some outrageously funny moments of the brunch – an amazing highlight video was shown displaying the skill of our team and how far we’ve come from preseason. Even watching the video at the banquet, gave all of us goosebumps (maybe I can just change it here to duckbumps) to appreciate the truly remarkable talent of all of us on a whole. In addition to game tape, we also got a glimpse of each and every truly special senior. A ten-minute long tape was made that had the funny moments of each and every senior – including Jessie Ablonczy’s videotaping on the plane ride from Argentina when her and Cliff acted like the Crocodile Hunter, Kara pretending to be Scooby Doo and Erin pretending to be Velma, and of course having the Evil One tripping Coach on tape from Argentina. For that short time frame, my stomach hurt so much from laughing so hard.
After many thoughtful and sincere speeches (and of course tons of pictures which will be shown), the banquet was near over. The Ducks Family 2009 had reunited again – and it was no less pleasurable than everyone expected it to be. The only thing that would have made it truly the best, was if Val was there and that her Mother was safe and healthy. Her presence was missed but even from afar, the mark Val has on this team was felt.
All in all, when one chapter closes, another one opens. Seeing what we accomplished at the banquet made everyone exponentially more excited for the upcoming spring season and regular fall season to begin. I however cannot end this blog without adding a short side-note of what surprises the captains had in store for Coach Reed. Since she will be getting married in the summer, (and has, time and time again, convinced us that she cannot afford for all of us current and past players to attend her wedding), they threw a mach wedding – where she even threw a bouquet of flowers and had a veil. We all hope Coach Reed liked what the captains planned, especially so they’d know our presence will hopefully be felt at her wedding day as well.

<3 Lauren "Grigglet" Griggs

Erin "E"'s Senior Send Off

2010-02-12T13:36:00.000-08:00

These past four years have been an incredible journey. Coming to the realization that my collegiate field hockey career is over has been difficult. Even though my senior season did not end the way I planned, it was one of the most rewarding. I learned more about my strengths and weaknesses this year than any other.

Stevens Field Hockey has been and will remain a huge part of my life. It really is true when people talk about the journey being more important than the outcome. I can’t recall many wins or losses but I can recall all of the friendships I have made and all of the adventures I have taken with this team. And, playing college hockey with my little sister, Meghan, was something special; a memory I will never forget.

I really thought I would have been a mess after my last field hockey game as a Stevens Duck. I was upset, yes, but it was more of a bittersweet feeling. It was a close to an amazing chapter in my life and an opening to a new beginning. I will be back next year, just watching my little sister and the rest of the team dominate, as always.

Much love,
Erin #30

Liz "Voldemort"'s Senior Words of Wisdom

2010-02-12T13:35:00.001-08:00

If you had told me four years ago that I would be at the point in my life I am now I would have thought you were crazy. I would never have been able to fathom that I would play such a part in helping a then 2 year program win its first conference title and make its first trip to the NCAAs, let alone Captain the team to the same fate the following year.
When I was a freshman I was the quiet kid in the corner. Most of my classmates broke out of their shell the day they got here; some never even had a shell. Me, it took me a good two years to break out of my shell. I did get a few cracks along the way though. I still remember the first time I “took someone out.” We were doing a goalie bumping drill and Meris was filling in as our goalie. I knocked her over. Later, on an away trip where I was making my first collegiate start, Meris told me to do to W&J what I did to her. I remember running off the field at the end of the game and saying “Meris that was for you!” It was like Tom Riddle’s first dabbles into the Dark Arts ;) I can recall a few more moments when my shell started to crack, I called out Katie Mo for wearing her shorts backwards (on multiple occasions), and each and every time I knocked someone over during a game (which started happening more and more often) put another little crack in my shell.
Overall it was on our trip to Argentina when it all fell away. It was on this trip, as most of you know and saw at the banquet, that I took our Jess Reed. I guess you could say there’s no going back after that. While on a walk through Buenos Aires with Kara and Hillary, we got in a heated discussion about Harry Potter, it was during this time that Hillary decided I was our teams Voldemort (she was Harry as she had a scar on her leg that itched when I got close :) ). As I broke out off the field, I started to break out on the field too. My summer play had helped boost my skills and my confidence in them. My parents no longer cringed when I got the ball, and I knew no one on the other team would get the ball past me. During my junior year we had to fill out self-evaluations, and I was one of few people that actually checked “No-one in my conference is better than me.” I set high personal goals for myself that year, I wanted to score a goal and I wanted to receive end of season honors from the Empire 8.
My senior year it all came together. I was nervous coming in; we had lost such a talented group of girls the previous year. I knew we could and would do it all again, but it would take a lot of hard work. Seeing our freshman at camp helped ease my nerves. I could see the potential in all of them. During the season, we had our struggles, but I am so proud of everything that we overcame. In having previously won the Empire 8 Championship, and being voted to win again, we had a huge target on our back. Not only that but we were voted higher in the Coaches Poll than we had ended our season. Now, not only were our conference foes gunning for us, but EVERYONE was. In the end, we pulled through. We beat Montclair; we beat Rowan; we beat every team in our conference; we beat some twice and we won the Empire 8 Championship again. On our own turf. I couldn’t have asked for a better senior year. To be able to help the team accomplish so much, and to help lead the team to such accomplishments, meant a lot to me. Not only did we do great things as a team, personally I had achieved my goals. I scored my first goal (in my entire life!) against Hartwick, in double overtime, in the game that decided who would host the E8 tournament. And at the end of the season, I received second-team honors.
As I look back over my time here, I know I will never forget it. I have found confidence in myself that I will never lose, I have learned to follow, I have learned to lead, I have learned to get along with so many different personalities, I have learned to make friends with people I wouldn’t have imagined I would (Ellyn :) ), but most importantly I have learned who I am and how I got here and I will never forget that. I have great memories, from Halloween costumes (some won Ipods!), trips to other countries, trips to other states (we are one of the few teams here that wouldn’t give up our long road weekends for anything), weird voices, funny quotes, random dress up practices (Mexican Fiesta anybody?) and every person that I have been able to call a teammate and friend. It’s hard to go away to college, but having awesome teammates makes it easier. In fact it makes it hard to have to leave college. Thankfully some of my teammates have become my best friends who will start the next part of my journey with me, and I know I can shoot any of my teammates or coaches an email, text, or facebook wall posting whenever I need help or just want to keep in touch.

EMPIRE 8 CHAMPIONS!!!

2009-11-11T11:33:00.000-08:00

WAHOO! EMPIRE 8 CHAMPIONS! GO DUCKS! Clinching the Empire 8 Championship earned our Ducks an Automatic Bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Ducks will host Eastern on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 5:00pm! See you there!

Hibachi in TOKYO!

2009-11-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

…well not really, but that’s what the restaurant was called. To rewind a bit, the Ducks set off on a big road trip a couple weekends ago. The first double game weekend for all the newbies, meaning not just one but TWO nights in a hotel to bond with our teammates. But the best part about the weekend, besides playing and winning both games in overtime (which in retrospect may have made things a bit too exciting), was definitely the Ducks "Night Out" on Saturday. Everyone got dressed in their best and we set off to eat some delicious Hibachi at a great restaurant called Tokyo which was not too far from our hotel. All the girls were excited to get to eat a "real meal," one that we did not have to pay for, and get to spend time with all the parents who drove so far to come see us play. Unfortunately the restaurant did not have a big enough room to fit everyone, so we had to sit the parents in a different room. Lucky for them they were the lucky ducks that night because the chefs decided to go to their tables first and let them have dinner before all the starving players. Fortunately for us, we found a way to keep ourselves entertained by throwing pieces of ice on to the hot stovetop. That is, until Coach caught us, but soon she too realized how entertaining it was and everyone was enjoying the sight of the sizzling ice.

Finally the chefs arrived at our tables and we were all EXTREMELY happy to have the delicious food being cooked right in front of us, especially Kara who had been practically salivating in her impatience to eat. The chefs put on a good show juggling their spatulas, throwing eggs and catching them in their hats, and of course the best part, the onion volcano!

The food was delicious and the chefs provided some great entertainment for us. Needless to say, our tummies were full and we all had the energy to play in the game on Sunday.

HALLOWEEN SHENANIGANS!

2009-10-28T17:07:00.000-07:00

DETAILS TO FOLLOW!!

Hartwick/RPI ROAD TRIP!

2009-10-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

Hello from the Broderick sisters!! Thursday night sparked the theme of the weekend. Liz quoted the movie “Elf.” She discussed the part of the movie when everyone was lacking Christmas spirit. Once everyone started believing in Santa his sleigh began to fly.
Thus, our motto for the weekend became, “Make the sleigh fly.” Teamwork was our main goal. Saturday we played Hartwick in an Empire 8 contest of the undefeated. It was a battle that we fought together and won together. It was an exciting, exhilarating double overtime victory. Liz “Voldy” Zmijewski scored the lone goal early in the second overtime period. Jessica “Walnuts” Ablonczy made a pass to Liz who dribbled the ball right into the circle and ripped a shot to the near post. It had too much “mustard” on it for the goalie to save. It was Liz’s first goal EVER! We are now 4-0 in the Empire 8.
After the game we traveled onto Albany, where we spent the night before our game versus Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Sunday. Once we arrived at the hotel, we got dressed up and went out to Hibachi for dinner. We woke up Sunday morning and had a delicious breakfast at the hotel. They had all sorts of cereal, oatmeal, eggs, waffles, fruit, bagels, and pastries. We departed the hotel at 11:15am ready for a showdown of Tech schools.
It was much chillier than Saturday’s game and we hoped for no rain or snow. The game began at 1pm. We were one goal down with less than a minute left to play. With 45 seconds left to play we were granted a corner. Meghan Broderick inserted the ball to Mallory Swanson who passed the ball to Marguerite Chavez who shot the ball. The rebound was played back to Marguerite put the ball into the cage. This led us to our second overtime game of the weekend.
About three minutes into overtime, Liz passed the ball from the midfield to Marguerite. Marguerite eliminated a defender to expose a 2 vs. 1 opportunity against the goalie with Lauren Griggs. Marguerite passed the ball to Lauren, who shot the ball in the goal!
Good Bye Central New York! Welcome to Hoboken!

FHOC BOOT CAMP!

2009-10-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

CLIFF AND WALNUTS... ARMY CRAWL!

"BILL" AND "GUTZ" ... TEAMWORK!

MARGUERITE AND GRIGGLET . . . BALANCE AND STRENGTH!

"TINK" AND SAM ... BEST FORM!

MEOW AND CATHY, WORK THOSE ABS!

MARGUERITE SHOWING HER BOOT CAMP PRIDE

Each year there is a themed practice, this year’s theme was BOOT CAMP! Everyone got into the theme... even the freshmen, some of which went knocking on doors to find clothes to make sure they were in Army attire. One teammate, Jill “Bill” Price, went to the extent of taping leaves to her shirt; for her excellent outfit she received the "Most like the Scenery" Award. Best Dressed went to Megan Clifford, she arrived in top fashion, skirt, face paint and even Army shades.

The practice consisted of an intense foot work shuttle, circuit, stair sprints, and relay! The practice was set up so everything you did, you did with your partner, no man left behind! We cannot succeed without each other!!! The foot work went by like a breeze, I think because everyone was still super-pumped about our outfits. Next up was the circuit and stair sprints. We each grabbed a partner and split into two groups; half went to the steps the other to the circuit.

At the circuit, each station was a minute on- working 110%- to a minute rest, there were 9 stations. We worked on abs, legs, and arms. We did “Hi Moms,” partner sits (which are like wall sits but a medicine ball is passed between you and your partner as you lean against each other- reference Sam and Tink (me) picture), and crunches while passing a medicine ball over your head to your partner. Each circuit seemed to work the whole body while still focus on a core group of muscles. While one group did the circuit the other ran the steps of the stadium.
The stadium running consisted of sprinting up the steps, sprinting across, then jogging down and back to the starting point for recovery. With each new lap, we rotated between sprinting up every step ... to sprinting up every other ... to hopping on one foot .... and finally to jumping up them ... then .... REPEAT!!! This continued until the other group finished their circuit.

The last part was probably the most fun … A RACE! You and your partner worked together to push ten balls with your sticks from the end line to the 25 yard line. It was then a sprint to the 50. From the 50 to the next 25 was TRANSFORMERS, which are like moving push-ups. You start off in the plank postion...abs tight, hips tucked...and while moving laterally you go to a high plank and then back down to a low plank! You have to have your special field hockey player demonstrate for you! Then from the 25 to end line and back to the 25 was a sprint. From the 25 to 50 was an ARMY CRAWL! Gutz won best Army crawl ... by the Gutz is in ROTC. Then we sprinted from the 50 to the 25 and finally once at the 25 we picked up our sticks and moved the ten balls back over the end line. All the balls had to be moved at the same time with you and your partner working together! The first place team was Mary B. and Nicole, second place went to Sam R. and me., the writers of this fabulous blog. With the conclusion of the relay our Boot Camp was also over, but the fun and memories we created will last forever!!

If it walks like a duck...

2009-10-11T17:24:00.000-07:00

Our one and only ... Ellyn Griggs!

“If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, it must be a duck”….Now that I have your attention and have you intrigued, I would like to update you on these Stevens Ducks here in Hoboken, New Jersey. Yesterday we played our third Empire 8 Conference opponent Utica College here at the Duck Pond (yes it is capitalized haha).
First, I would like to provide the setting. I started my morning by meeting my sister and crazy awesome goalie Ellyn, star defender Sam Moran, and mid/forward Jill “Bill” Price at the wonderful location of our Pierce dining hall for some delicious eggs and pancakes for breakfast. I knew it was going to be a great day because let’s just say the grill prepared the food on their a-game.

After breakfast, Sam and I went to put the team’s laundry into the washing machine and then to an undisclosed location to get our secret buddy’s gifts. Before every home game, we get our secret buddy a present as a psych for the game. The names are picked randomly at the beginning of the season and the secret buddy is disclosed at the end of the season. Anywho, after that, we had a little time to ourselves before meeting the team in the locker room for our team talk.

After a good talk and of course team stimulus of listening to pump-up songs in the locker room (Taylor Swift is one of my favorites), we left the locker room to watch the conclusion of the men’s soccer game which resulted in a tie after two overtime periods. We then warmed-up for our game. After the announcements of the starters for the game, Empire 8 mission, and playing of the national anthem, it was GAME TIME!! Almost 6 minutes into the game Jessie “Walnuts” Ablonczy beat defenders a ripped a shot into the circle. I saw the ball making its way towards goal and was not going to allow for a defender to get a stick on it. I deflected the ball in and scored the first goal of the game! J We went into half-time with a 1-0 lead and knew that we had to keep up the intensity to keep the lead since both teams were undefeated in the Empire 8. After getting advice from the coaching staff, the team went ahead to score another 2 goals. One goal came from freshman Marguerite “Marge” Chavez who lifted it into cage – she’s great! The last tally came from senior Jessie “Walnuts” who rocketed the ball to the right corner of the goal. Might I say Walnuts played an amazing game with 3 points for the day and some big plays. What a day for Walnuts to score her first goal!!! For the day, the defense of Sam Weisman, Mallory “Meow” “Meowmix” Swanson, Jill, Christina “Darth” Sedberry, Kara, Nicole, Liz “Voldemort,” and goalie/twin of mine was stellar. On the day, Ellyn had 2 saves to make. Enthusiasm and energy for the game came from the players, coaches, and fans of Stevens Field Hockey. In saying, thank you all for the support! The game yesterday was fun to play and was a great environment.

Now, the Ducks are undefeated in the Empire 8 (3-0 in conference) and at an overall record of 10-2. And, as a short digression, I would like to say Ellyn got her 10th win in goal and has 6 shutouts. Her stellar performance is even shown through her statistics released a few days ago – 3rd in the country in personal goals-against average and 3rd in save percentage. She had an amazing performance in the game vs. Drew and had a career-high 18 saves despite the loss coming in double-overtime for the Ducks. The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) released its defensive statistical rankings. The Ducks were 4th in goals-against average, 8th in shutouts per game, 6th in winning percentage, and 4th for save percentage.

We will look to continue our season this Wednesday at William Paterson University for a 7 pm game. See you there!

-Lauren (“Second Gear” aka “Grigglet, L.” aka “not-Ellyn”)

UPDATES GALORE!

2009-10-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

We apologize for the lack of blogging...we have been busy little bees...errr DUCKS! We are currently sitting 9-1 overall and 2-0 in the Empire 8 Conference. We had 2 big games last week. First we took on Rowan. At the time we played they were ranked 12th in the NFHCA Coaches Poll and we were ranked 16th. We played Rowan here at Stevens and it was an awesome Duck Country event. We were able to wear our Away Jerseys at home and it was a lot of fun. We won that game 2-1. Mallory Swanson, aka Meow, (Empire-8 Co-Player of the Week and Womensfieldhockey.com Division III Player of the week) scored both goals off of great offensive teamwork. It was the first time we beat Rowan AND it was the highest ranked team we ever beat. It was incredible!

Last Saturday we played Ithaca on their grass field. It was our 2nd conference game. We traveled to Ithaca the night before, stayed in a hotel and had a great breakfast. We showed up ready to play and ready to win. Lauren "2nd Gear" Griggs scored the game winner and then Meow put in an insurance goal. We left Ithaca with a 2-0 win!

Tonight we play Drew at Drew and they are a tough opponent. We will get off the bus ready to play and to work hard. We are having tons of fun this season and working hard!

See you soon!

Preseason Shenanigans

2009-08-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

Well after a looong summer apart, the team is finally back together!!! This season is already shaping up to be a lot different than the last with a fresh group of 12 new faces. The first night of preseason was a night to remember with everyone learning all about the team and each other. Bonds were formed from the moment we started playing Taboo, Balderdash, and Apples to Apples. For the next couple of days we had a crash course in everything field hockey with double sessions and lots of team meals together (breakfast being the best part of the day). We're lucky enough to be in Hoboken where every once in a while the 100 degree heat was cut with a much appreciated Hudson River breeze. With the summer being in full swing we were bound to have at least one thunderstorm, and when that day came we got to play dodgeball in the gym. Dodgeball is a vicious enough sport on its own, but with our team being as competitive as it is, faces were bound to get destroyed. All this competitiveness in the air was taking a serious toll on our bodies, so everyone was making sure to take care of our bodies and prevent any injury. The training room became our second home, and the trainers became our best friends, second only to Bud who was the best chef in the dining hall.

After a lot of practicing it was time to test our skills against some stiff competition. Our scrimmage day consisted of games against both Division I and Division II teams. It was really great to have the opportunity to work out the kinks in our system and give everyone the chance to play against someone different. The freshmen especially got a lot out of the day since they experienced what it is like to play at the college level. Unfortunately the day did not end on the happiest of notes with one of the other teams players getting injured, but hopefully she'll be okay. For the next couple of days we'll be analyzing the game tape and working on everything that we can fix to prepare for our first game against Haverford in 1 week! See you then :)

-Marguerite & Kara

Camp and PreSeason Excitement!

2009-07-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

So many of you may know that this week was Steven's Field Hockey Camp. Jess and Val ran the camp. Liz, Erin, Jessy-Walnuts, Allison-Worm, Meghan, Jill-Bill, and Katie Mo all worked the camp, with Lauren, Ellyn, Mel, Megan Clifford, Kara, Allie-Midget and others popping in to play and help out whenever they were around on campus! We had 6 of our incoming freshman, two high school seniors who showed an interest in Stevens, two daughters of Stevens staff and some friends, and then a group of 15 girls from Old Bridge High School come Sunday-Wednesday for overnight camp. Another incoming freshman came for day camp, along with some girls from River Dell High School and a bunch of other younger kids from Hoboken. We even had a few boys who loved playing field hockey!! All in all it was a great few days of hockey! We were able to teach the younger girls some new skills that will hopefully carry over and be very helpful in their high school play, and we were able to get a head start to introducing our incoming freshman to the style of play we use here at Stevens. We played pick-up with the girls every night and it was great to see how much the girls progressed in just a few days. Seeing the high school girls have "battles" instead of hacking away at sticks, using the swing around the back and even seeing some new dodges that we taught them was really great. It feels great to say "Hey, I taught you that and you used it!!" It was also awesome to get a sneak preview of what the team will be like when all of our new Ducks come in August! They are already blending into our team so well, and we can't wait to see what the rest of the freshman are going to bring! At the end of the camp, we wished the high schoolers good luck with their season, and we were filled with excitement about our upcoming season. Despite graduating a great bunch of girls this past spring, Stevens Field Hockey isn't leaving the top ranks any time soon with the group of girls we have coming in!!

Captains!

2009-04-22T06:38:00.002-07:00

As mentioned in the previous post, we have elected three players to be our Captains for the 2009 Season. Congratulations to Erin "E" Broderick, Liz "Voldemort" Zmijewski, and Kara "Empanada/Skadoosh" Borzillo! We can't wait until the Fall!

The President's Tea!

2009-04-22T06:38:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday Stevens hosted the Accepted Students Reception. For everyone involved, this day is highly anticipated, especially because it involves free food and entertainment! As a member and tri-captain of the field hockey team, myself (Erin Broderick), Liz Zmijewski (a fellow tri-captain), and Allison Shields (a graduating captain) met our team’s incoming freshman in the Schaefer lobby. We had the opportunity to grab coffee, tea, and choose between an assortment of breakfast pastries and fruit while we got to know each other. Ten of our incoming freshman came to the event, including some who traveled 5 or more hours to get here! It’s really exciting to have so many new additions to our team. Each one of them has so much to offer.

We chatted until President Hal Raveche and a few of our peers gave speeches in Canavan arena and made plans to meet again at 4pm. This time our whole team participated in the meet and greet! We met outside of Walker Gymnasium, where the jazz band provided entertainment and hors d'oeuvres and desserts were served. I was really excited that there was sushi, it’s my favorite. I’m only disappointed I did not have a chance to make a trip to the chocolate fountain for chocolate covered strawberries.

What a way to celebrate the amazing class that Stevens accepted this year. The rain held out for a beautiful sunny day and the food and speeches were wonderful. The class of 2013 seem like they have a lot to offer. The reception provided the beginning of the excitement that I have for our field hockey program and our future. Now I only have to wait for August!

Post-Spring Update

2009-04-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

Defensive corner!! (photo credit to my mom!)

So Drexel has come and gone. It was a great day, we really got to work out kinks on the field and play with the new self-start rule. Despite being blustery and chilly, it was a pretty nice day, no rain so we can't complain! The level of play was pretty tough at times, but we held our own very well! I was very proud of my ducks. After playing amongst ourselves for a month it was great to get out there and see what we do as one unit against other teams. At the end of the day I was just super excited for the fall because if we look that good now, we are going to be AWESOME next season!!

Speaking of this Fall....yesterday was Accepted Students day here at Stevens, and aside from getting yummy food (rumors of bacon wrapped scallops were TRUE!) we got to meet some of our incoming freshmen!! We have a great bunch of girls coming to join the team! Their personality and level of play is definitely going to make this Fall an exciting season! We can't wait!!!

-Liz

Drexel this saturday!!!

2009-04-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

So, hopefully EVERYONE reading this knows that we will be playing at Drexel on Saturday!! If you read down a few posts you can see the schedule we will be playing. Everyone is getting super PUMPED! It is by far the highlight of my spring. We have been working hard to be able to compete and hold our ground with the high caliber of the DI schools that will be there, and we are looking AWESOME! Our volunteers have been coming out and playing with us (Shout out to Duncan, Daniel, Meiko, Megan, Dennis and Enriquo!) We have been fortunate enough to have later practices during the week so that our volunteers and seniors can come and play with us, even having enough to play full field with two FULL teams (including two goalies!) last week. Everyone is working hard at our team practices and individuals with coach, and the improvements can be seen in everyone! We are definitely going to give Rutgers, LaSalle and Drexel a run for their money this weekend. Hope to see all of our fans out supporting us and to see a sneak preview of how great we're going to be this fall! -Special shout out to Kara and Karen and the rest of the Women's Lacrosse team, who was recently ranked 13th in the IWLCA poll!! They have both had awesome seasons so far, Kara scored 3 goals this past weekend, and Karen is 4th on the team in scoring with 19!! They have a big weekend coming up as they play their conference rival Ithaca on Saturday while we are at Drexel, you can follow them the same way you follow us at www.stevensducks.com. Good Luck Women's Lacrosse!!!!! -Liz "Voldie" Zmijewski

Field Trip to New Meadlowlands!!

2009-03-26T16:28:00.000-07:00

So...for those of you that don't know, Kara and I (Liz) are both civil engineering majors, and about a month ago we had the privilege of going on a FIELD TRIP!! We are currently taking a class with our teams academic adviser, Leslie Brunell, and she organized a field trip to the New Meadowlands. On a blustery Friday in February Kara and I ventured with about 40 other civil engineering students to the current location of Giants Stadium. Once there we went into one of the most intense construction trailers I have ever seen. You would never imagine how nice those little boxy trailers can get inside! We met with a Skanska representative who told us all about the construction that was going on currently and what would eventually be happening. Some fun facts about the New Meadowlands:
-The New Meadowland stadium is 30 feet away from the old Giant Stadium
-The whole project is a joint project split 50-50 with the Giants and the Jets
-Apparently the Jets want all the fancy schmansy stuff in their lockerrooms and the owners suits, not the Giants! (Kara and I are both Eagle's fans, so we like making fun of both teams)
-The project is actually AHEAD of schedule right now! The stadium should be finished by the end of the upcoming season, and as soon as the last NFL game is played in Giants Stadium they are going to start taking it down.
-Giant Stadium is going to be taken down piece by piece, not exploded due to its close proximity to the New Meadlowlands

Kara and I walked all around the stadium, walking down on field level, up in the owners suits, behind where the scoreboards are going to be and along where the fan seating is going to be. We got to wear hard hats, safety vests and safety glasses!!! Despite being absolutely FREEZING and windy we had a blast! It was really cool to see what goes on behind the scenes, and being able to see things that we had drawn in previous summer jobs and learned about in class was really fun. We would walk around saying "Hey look, REBAR!" and other silly things. It just goes to show that you are never to old to go on a field trip!!

3 v. 1

2009-03-26T16:14:00.001-07:00

Alli, Liz, and Meghan... Liz and Meg on the Double... Alli on the Split! Triple-Team...Awesome! That's how we do it!

Drexel Tournament Schedule... COME WATCH US!

2009-03-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

Below is our the schedule for the Drexel Tournament. We will be there all day, please come and join us! We will be implementing all the new rules...including the AWESOME "Self-Start" rule, which the team loves! (Especially Erin)

April 4 Drexel Play Day at Buckley Field

Drexel	vs.	Lafayette	9:00 - 9:35
Rutgers	vs.	Stevens	9:45 - 10:20
LaSalle	vs.	Lafayette	10:30 -11:05
Drexel	vs.	Rutgers	11:15 - 11:50
LaSalle	vs.	Stevens	12:00 - 12:35
Rutgers	vs.	Lafayette	12:45 - 1: 20
Drexel	vs.	Stevens	1:30 - 2:05
Rutgers	vs.	LaSalle	2:15 - 2:50
Drexel	vs.	Stevens	3:00 - 3:35
Drexel	vs.	LaSalle	3:45 - 4: 20

JOIN US FOR SOME AWESOME HOCKEY! WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!

SPRING SEASON!

2009-03-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

So it’s that time again…spring season! It is finally here after four long months. All of the girls are so excited to be playing together again. Our first practice was about three weeks ago, right before spring break. This spring season is about 5 weeks long and we are working to prepare for our tournament at Drexel as well as continue to prepare for our regular season next fall. At the Drexel tournament we will be playing against division I teams and we will be the only division III team competing. Last year we did very well so this year we want to do just as well. Even though we lost five seniors last year, many of them have agreed to come back and help coach us in our spring season. In addition to those seniors who will be helping us, we are also looking forward to the upcoming night practices when all of the volunteers come to Stevens to play with us full field. The weather continues to get nicer and all the snow has melted off the turf. Individuals with coach have started and all of us are working hard to work on the things we need to improve on. Everyone is so eager to work hard and improve together as a team because like coach says, we have already begun training for next season!

-Melanie Richards

National Girls and Women in Sports Day!

2009-03-24T18:34:00.001-07:00

The 23^rd annual celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day went better than planned at Stevens Institute of Technology. This annual extravaganza is so special. Not only is it a day to recognize those female athletes who have already established themselves as outstanding people, but it is a day to celebrate the commitment they have made to their sport, their team, and their strive for being the best, healthiest women they can be. Additionally, this day is so unique in that it could potentially be the beginning of a long athletic career in a young girl’s lives. The significance this day might have had on them is indescribable.

Now, let me introduce myself. My name is Lauren Griggs. I am a sophomore biomedical engineer here at Stevens as well as a varsity field hockey athlete. I am active all over campus but every year this event has a special place in my heart. On February 4, 2009, I had the privilege of teaching all different sorts of people, young and old, men and women, boys and girls the art of field hockey. For some, it was their first time hearing about the sport. For others, it was a chance to hit a pretty hard ball with a stick.

The planning of the drills we would do with the various groups all was worth it when we saw the faces (smiles of course) of all of those who participated in the field hockey station. The lesson began by giving everyone a little background about field hockey as a sport and then went into the proper way of holding a stick. From there, everyone was quite avid to pass the ball to one another. This sight was a memorable one. Seeing the groups pass together in pairs and understand how important teamwork is was so rewarding. After that, the next drill was dribbling. One by one, the novice field hockey players dribbled around cones and learned how difficult it was to keep control of the ball. By the end though, I was saying to everyone “WOW! We have some expert field hockey players here!” The last drill that we did before it was time to rotate sports was a little “shooting.” Everyone stood on a line and tried to score on me as I was standing in goal as the “goalie.” Let me say though, I am by no means a goalie. At Stevens, I am an attacker – I’m the one who is a nuisance to the opposing goalie. My identical twin sister is actually a goalie and probably could have been a better goalie. I digressed. So, all of the athletes are standing on the line. After the count of three, all of them were going to try to pass the ball by me and score in the goalie. I can swallow my pride enough to say that almost every single pass went by me in the goal. If that is not enough evidence to show talented all of these athletes of the day was, I have no idea what is.

After the rotation of the groups who went to field hockey, soccer, tennis, volleyball, and wrestling was completed, the entire group united upstairs for some pizza, snacks, and drinks to get back their energy from the days activities. When they were done, some of the kids even got their faces painted with “Stevens” written across their face (one boy had me write “pepsi” on his cheek too – he definitely knew advertising). From there, everyone with their bright yellow Stevens Duck Country shirts on (those they received at the beginning of the event) went in to see the women’s basketball game. It was a great game and also senior day. Senior Dani Dudek showed her stuff on the court and all of the fans loved the intensity and aggressiveness of the game. During half time, there was a special basketball contest where the kids competed.

All in all, the day was eventful and informative. I hope the children learned as much from us (the athletes) as we learned from them while also having a good time celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

And they never cease to AMAZE me...

2009-01-28T13:32:00.000-08:00

SENIOR - HILLARY PAUL

Part of being a member of the Stevens community means that you are willing to lead, that you are willing to go beyond what is required, the ability to excel. The Stevens Ducks Field Hockey members excel in all aspects of their lives, on and off the field. I am continuously presented with reasons why they are amazing young women...I should be surprised at all they do, but I am not. It is just who they are and part of what makes them GREAT!

Check out this article about our own Hillary Paul...Captain, 2nd Team All-American, 1st Team All-Region, Biomedical Engineer...and so much more!

http://www.phisigmasigma.org/PHISIGMASIGMA/PHISIGMASIGMA/inAction/CollegianSpotlight/CollegianprofileHillaryPaul/Default.aspx

A Banquet to Remember!

2009-01-28T09:36:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday afternoon, the Championship Ducks and their families joined together in the Bissinger Room to celebrate an AMAZING season and to recognize the Seniors for their outstanding contribution to the continual success of the Ducks the past 4 years. The luncheon commenced around 11am, with a phenomenal breakfast buffet taunting everyone's hunger... a special thanks to Annette from catering and Barbara from special functions for making the event so wonderful. Coach Reed spoke a few words, but then knew that in order to gain the attention of everyone in the room, she must first allow them to overflow their plates with every type of breakfast food imaginable. Bagels, Waffles, Eggs, Fruit, you name it- we had it.

As teammates and families stuffed their faces and went for round 2, a wonderful highlight video created by Kara Borzillo was played on the projector for all of us to reminisce on a successful year. After the video ended, senior speeches began. Two underclassmen stepped up to express the teams appreciation for each individual senior, as well as funny stories and memories, followed by a speech given by Coach Reed on each of the 5 amazing girls. The speeches were well-written and showed everyone how truly influential the Seniors have been on this team. A box of tissues were clearly set down at the beginning of the first speech to prepare for the expected waterworks.

After the speeches and photos were taken, various people spoke on behalf of our wonderful coach who believed in this team and worked so hard to achieve the Championship she knew we could win. Our amazing Dita/NFHCA North Atlantic Region Coach of the Year was spoken about highly by numerous teammates and family members for her overall success as a coach and for everything shes done to build this team. She then presented assistant coach Val with a pair of steamy UGG boots for all of her time and dedication to this team and for her attributions to the success of this team as well. Without these two AMAZING women, our team wouldn't be at the level we are today, nevermind Champions. In addition to the coaches, the volunteer coaches were then acknowledged for their contributions to the team and for volunteering their time to come out every week and help us better our skills. THANK YOU.

An overall successful luncheon with lots of tears and fun-filled moments. Seniors, you will be missed <3

Happy Chrismahanukwanzakah!!!

2008-12-18T14:07:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I noticed we've been a little lacking on the new posts, this is mostly due to a number of things 1) end of the season sadness 2) end of season reflection happiness 3) coaches with lots of work/on vacation 4) players experiencing the wonderfulness that is finals time. So to keep everyone up to date lets start with the end of the season recap. Where we last left off the team was about to head to Maine to play Bowdoin. I can't even explain how amazing the experience was, from the bus ride up to the delicious team dinner, it was unforgettable. The game itself was so much fun, which is not something you would hear from a team that was kicked out of the tournament. With our team the game really was the peak of our season and just showed that hard work and no fear can get you very far in life.

The only sad part came when the realization set in that I would never again get a chance to play with our seniors again. Never again will I sit on Steph Smith's pads and let her hit me in the back; Never again will I be able to yell "Nice, I like it" across the field to Kerri and watch her pose; Never again will I be able to roll on the ground and shoot imaginary guns making laser sounds with Hillary; Never again will I have the opportunity to watch Casey take a shot, and me more excited then ever; Never again will I be able to see the Midget kick her little midget feet with joy. Every team goes through the same thing when they lose such an amazing group of seniors, and for our team it is no different. We will move and make more history while continuing to be just as weird, in their memory (and only slightly because that's just how we are).

Congratuations goes out to Hillary "Child Bauer" Paul and Allison "Midget" Shields for being only our second and third All-Americans in five years of the program as well as Coach Reed for being named the Regional Coach of the Year!! That's all for now, expect some updates as we get closer to spring season, or if anything else cool happens that we feel like talking about! Happy Chrismahanukwanzakah to everyone!

SWEET 16! How sweet it is!

2008-11-14T19:11:00.000-08:00

Wednesday marked the first NCAA appearance in Stevens Field Hockey history! For many of us, it still has not set in and yet WE ARE IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT.

Not including morning classes and labs, the day began at 1:15 pm in the locker room. With music playing and the occasional outbursts of singing, the team prepared for warm-ups. The coaches finally came in for the pregame talk - which gets more and more interesting as the season continues. Everyone broke out in laughter when we noticed Jess Reed passing out lobster bibs. Yes - white, plastic lobster bibs. This game was more than just being in the tournament, we were playing to continue to play. We were playing to earn our spot in the Sweet 16. We were playing to earn our lobster dinner in Maine!

3:00 pm was game time. At the end of the first half, we were up 1-0 but we knew the last 35 minutes would be a fight. Someone's season would end after the game and no one was ready to give up. With 14 minutes left in the game, Wooster scored to tie the game 1-1. We continued to dominate the play and had numerous scoring opportunities but nothing was going in the goal. Hillary Paul scored the game winning goal off of a penalty stroke with roughly 10 minutes left. The rest of the game was a blur, as both teams were fighting to gain clean possession of the ball. The final score was 2-1 in favor of the ducks!

Once we were back in the locker room, a tearful Kerri Polidore reminded the team that the seniors had just played their last home game – and it sure felt good for it to end in a win! The season is far from over, as we have a huge game against Bowdoin on Saturday. We are the underdog, but that will just make victory even sweeter!

2008-11-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

MEET THE 2008 EMPIRE 8 CHAMPIONS! Thank you to all of our friends and family for your support. We will see you on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at Stevens for our 3:00pm match-up against Wooster!

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

2008-11-09T22:55:00.000-08:00

“That just happened!” –another popular phrase of Stevens Field Hockey
Even before I came on my recruiting trip in November 2004 Coach Reed believed that she could build a championship team. Yesterday it happened as Stevens field hockey defeated W&J 3-1 to win the Empire 8 conference championship. The best explanation for this entire weekend is the following quote by Douchan Gersi that Women’s Basketball left in our locker room: “Victory always starts in the head. It's a state of mind. It then spreads with such radiance and such affirmations that destiny can do nothing but obey.” We believed in each other, we believed that we could win, and we WANTED A CHAMPIONSHIP T-SHIRT.
Looking back on yesterday, the day is a big blur. It started with our assistant coach drinking multiple cups of coffee, the team warming up in shirts we made the night before, and our famous singing of the National Anthem. All of which was followed by some of the most confident 70 minutes of field hockey that this team has played. Before the much awaited t-shirt presentation, Alli Shields was named tournament MVP, a well deserved honor for our “midget.” After the team pictures, the celebration continued with our family and fans at our second tailgate of the weekend!
Other than the t-shirt, the best thing about winning the conference is that we receive an automatic bid to the NCAA’s. At approximately 11pm Sunday, the bracket was posted on the NCAA website. I had just opened my computer when I noticed, so I clicked on the bracket and left the room before I even looked. I knew Kara had been refreshing her Internet Explorer all night, so I ran straight to her room (screaming). Once Kara opened the bracket we found out that we will be playing Wooster on Wednesday. This added to the excitement as Sloth (’08 alumnae) is the assistant coach at Wooster. We then noticed the asterisk next to our name, indicating that we are HOSTING the game! Home field advantage is huge in field hockey and I am excited for whatever Wednesday brings.
So look for Stevens Field Hockey on campus today – we are wearing the sweet Empire 8 CHAMPIONSHIP t-shirts!!
-Casey Scherck

2008-11-09T08:18:00.000-08:00

Junior Attacker Kara "SKA-DOOSH" Borzillo

Championship Game Weekend

2008-11-09T07:38:00.000-08:00

First off I would like to start by warning anyone who is reading this that there are a few common phrases that will probably pop up every once in a while on this blog. These phrases all have varying origins, and most sound funnier when our team actually says them, but overall just sound goofy out of context. Anyway, the current hot phrases include: rip city (also rip township, the borough of rip, tip city), skadoosh, any possible Harry Potter reference (especially those involving Voldemort/Liz Zmijewski), and as of late OOOH OOOOH!!! (see the movie Baby Mama for full understanding). Now that all the technicalities are out of the way, on to the good stuff, like the fact that Stevens Field Hockey is heading to the Empire 8 Championship game today!!!! The theme of this entire weekend has really been just spending plenty of time together doing plenty of fun activities; my favorite being the team dinners. Friday night involved a slightly later practice than usual immediately followed by dinner made by Head Coach Jess Reed and assisted by a bunch of the girls on the team. The team enjoyed watching some game-tape and strategizing before going our separate ways and heading to sleep. Saturday was Game Day. After our always changing pregame talk we took the field and then proceeded to go to rip city all over Ithaca by winning 5-1. The whole team was super excited to get to play in the championship game and brought a little bit of that excitement to the Women’s Volleyball Championship Game, where the girls eventually won! Now we’re off to play Washington and Jefferson this morning, if you get a chance check it out on http://www.empire8.tv starting at 1pm.
It’s a great day to be a duck!!!

2008-11-06T12:37:00.000-08:00

Meet the 2008 Stevens Field Hockey Team.

Empire 8 Championships

2008-11-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

The Stevens Field Hockey Team is hosting the 2008 Empire 8 Championships on Saturday, November 8, 2008 and Sunday, November 9, 2008. First up on Saturday, Stevens squares off against the Ithaca College Bombers. The game is set for a noon time start. The last time these two teams faced off, Stevens took a decisive win beating Ithaca 3 -0.

For those of you who do not know, this is the first time Stevens has made an appearance in the Empire 8 Conference Playoffs. This season has been a year of incredible firsts....

We are hoping to continue the "firsts" with: Winning our First Conference Championship and Making our First Appearance in the NCAA Tournament.