2008 Field Hockey Season Preview

With nine returning players from last year’s squad, the 2008 Hood College field hockey team will rely on experience to make a mark on the Capital Athletic Conference this season. Last fall, the Blazers finished 3-12 overall and will be seeking their first CAC victory this season.

“We have a core group of returners and key newcomers who will play some vital roles,” said seventh-year head coach Staci Brennan. “The veterans will obviously play an integral role in our success.”

Team captains Lauren Perzan and Crystal Parker will regulate Hood’s midfield. Last season, Perzan, a junior, ranked second on the team in points with a goal and two assists. Parker, a senior, has started all but one game for the Blazers in her career.

Junior Brandy Noel and seniors Jess Head and Julie Schnitzker will lead the Blazers’ offensive attack. Schnitzker collected six points last season, scoring two goals and assisting on two others. Noel also notched a pair of goals last season and attempted a team-best 16 shots. Head registered her lone tally of the season in a 5-1 road victory at Rosemont College but will be counted on this season for more of an offensive punch.

Brennan anticipates newcomer Maria Smith will have an immediate impact on attack in her first year in the blue and gray. Smith was a second team all-area selection at nearby Urbana High School and captained the under-19 Frederick Freedom last season. Newcomers Jacquie LeMar from Germantown, Md., Samantha Liptrap from Baltimore and Katelyn Bramkamp from Pittsburgh, Pa., will see playing time on the front line.

On defense, juniors Sarah Balukoff and Jen Graham will be valuable assets for Brennan. Balukoff collected a team-best 10 defensive saves for the Blazers, including a CAC record five against nationally ranked Salisbury University. Graham made three defensive saves of her own and attempted 12 shots, showing her versatility at both ends of the field. The Blazers should also get solid contributions from returner Patsy Davis as well as sophomore Lacey Kelley (Long Reach High School) and freshman Amanda Blakeslee (Glen Burnie High School).

Sophomore Anne Marie Hantman and senior Jen Lacy will split time in the cage this season. Hantman appeared in four contests and earned starts against CAC rivals Salisbury and St. Mary’s College (Md.). She made 29 saves in 138 minutes in the cage. Lacy transferred to Hood from Florida Atlantic University last year and lettered in softball this past spring.

“One of our strengths this season is our speed coming from several different areas of the field,” said Brennan. “We’ve never been a very powerful attack and that’s something that we will be focused on this year. Last year we knew we were going to see tough competition but we’ve had a look at them and I think we’re better prepared this year.

“My coaching staff has doubled (with the additions of Tammy Butler and Halley Pack) which means the team will get the extra attention they deserve. We will continue to work a lot on player development and in the end, if we work hard and play hard, hopefully that will lead to success.”