Field Hockey's Tamer is Defensive Leader and Offensive Threat
October 13, 2011 | Field Hockey
Oct. 13, 2011
Don’t expect Carla Tamer to be playing forward any time soon, even though she’s been racking up huge numbers for the field hockey team.
The senior back is content where she is, holding down the defense and serving as one of the key leaders on a relatively young team. And if you ask her about her unexpected team-leading eight goals, she’ll just tell you she’s happy to be contributing to her team’s overall success.
“For the most part, I worry about if the team wins or not so I don’t even know exactly if I have 19 points,” Tamer said, with a laugh. “[Scoring] is a really good feeling, and I always get really excited that it’s a goal for the team. For me, the mindset is really just we’ve got to rack goals on, and I really mean ‘we’.”
After having more options built around her shooting skills and being part of penalty corners, Tamer knew she would have to step up. Over the summer, she worked hard to improve her shot and offensive play. Once the season started, she began working religiously with associate head coach Chris Clements, dissecting film and even learning the physics behind effective shots.
But it’s not enough to understand the tactics. You have to be able to apply them in a game situation, and Tamer has been able to execute, even in high pressure situations.
“She was able to step up and have this role on the team as she is very poised under pressure and can execute her skills, such as penalty corner strike and stroke when it counts,” junior co-captain Jacqui Moorfield explained. “Some of her game strokes have been very crucial and in high pressure situations, yet she has executed all of them perfectly.”
Even though she’s scored four times as many goals this year as she did in the last three seasons combined, Tamer’s unique perspective on the game is keeping her grounded. The path to the top hasn’t been easy for BC’s latest co-captain, and she’ll be the first to tell you that all of the adversity she faced has helped to make her an effective leader.
After a difficult freshman season, Tamer had just started getting significant playing time as a sophomore when she suffered a midseason knee injury that sidelined her for the rest of the year. She recovered in time for her junior year and established herself as one of the team’s defensive stalwarts, earning her team’s vote of captain.
“That’s why people, for example, voted me as captain, because I’ve had so many different experiences,” Tamer said. “There are a couple of girls that are going through injuries right now so they aren’t playing very much. I think that’s why people see me as a pretty good leader. I can teach them that working hard and wanting to learn is one of the things that will help you in the future.”
Tamer’s talent, smarts, positive attitude and willingness to learn were also shaped by her experience playing field hockey overseas. A native of Germany, she began playing field hockey at five years old, as oppose to many girls in the United States, who begin playing in middle or high school. After moving to England at 10, she played all over the field and even was a forward for two seasons. She also won a national championship with England’s U-18 team.
Upon moving to Connecticut for her sophomore year to attend the Hotchkiss School, she moved exclusively to defense. She also began to realize that playing on so many different teams with vastly different styles has opened up her game and that she appreciated the American style.
“I like the American way a lot, obviously because of the team unity,” she said. “It’s very different and the girls are great. I kind of like how you get a college experience here where you can pretty much be a professional athlete almost as well as going to school.”
In the end, Tamer is focused on helping the team succeed, whether it’s through timely scoring, making important defensive stops or helping younger players adjust to a new system. And, even though she admits she’s primarily a defensive player, don’t expect her scoring to slow down as her offensive firepower “can still show through sometimes.”
“I’m very comfortable with where I am, and I do see myself as more of a defensive player, Tamer said. “But I think I have still some attack in me. Sometimes I joke around that I’m going to be the next center forward…but obviously I’m not.”
Written by sophomore Jen Dobias
