
Photo by: John Quackenbos
Supremely Talented Freshmen Only Scratching The Surface
September 27, 2017 | Field Hockey, #ForBoston Files
The freshmen class is leading the way for field hockey's attack
When training camp began in August, the Boston College field hockey team knew the season would begin with growing pains. Though it returned plenty of experience from a 2016 NCAA Tournament participant, head coach Kelly Doton recognized an immediate changeover to this year's squad.
It didn't have anything to do with attitude or roster, both of which arrived on campus with a special feel. Instead, it had to do with something much more basic. This season, the attack is comprised of almost all freshmen who needed to answer how players never setting foot on NCAA turf would adjust to their new surroundings.
The Eagles are 7-3, having ascended to ninth in the nation. And though there are still growing pains, BC is laying a clear foundation for the next step in its ascension among the NCAA elite.
"When you play with four freshmen forwards, the connectivity between lines becomes really important," head coach Kelly Doton said. "It's a process and it requires the entire team to work together. Our team is really learning how to create scoring opportunities, especially against the best teams in the country. They've done a good job to this point, but (the freshmen) are still learning about what they have to do beyond just goal scoring ability."
The "best teams in the country" easily refer to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Though the Eagles are 7-0 in non-conference play, they lost their first three conference games. They enter this weekend ranked No. 9 in the NFHCA Coaches Poll, one of five league teams inside the top 10. But they've lost each game against league teams ranked higher in the national poll - No. 7 Syracuse, No. 5 North Carolina and No. 3 Virginia.
"The games have been reminders of the levels at which we have to practice," Doton said. "Every game is tough. I felt like we could've won the UNC game, which was both good and bad that it went to overtime. It was one of those games where once you get into overtime, anything can happen. But we've kept a positive attitude, and we try to focus every game on doing everything we can today to make ourselves better (tomorrow)."
Those lessons ultimately mean the youngsters expect to close the gap as they learn more about the college game. It's a process already well underway, evidenced by the top of the stat sheet. Jaime Natale, for example, is the team's leading scorer with nine points, scoring four goals.
Rookie Fusine Govaert both have three goals and an assist, tied for second on the team with Lucy Lytle and Ymke Rose Gote. That's some lofty company considering Gote is the team captain and Lytle is the team's returning leading scorer from a year ago. Freshmen Elizabeth Warner and Caroline McGovern are one point behind with six points. Warner has three goals on the year, while McGovern has two goals and two assists.
It's a result of supreme talent impacting the Eagles from the beginning of training camp.
"I have to remind myself that these girls have only been at college for five or six weeks," Doton said. "There's a newness and a freshness to the way they play the game. They're learning how to make the right cuts, and they get just as competitive as anyone else on the field. They get frustrated just like anyone else when they make a mistake."
That learning curve is coming despite clear successes. The winless conference record aside, BC is three wins away from matching last season's total and the Eagles rank No. 6 in the RPI. Each weekend, the team regained their mojo by earning bounce-back victories.
BC rebounded from its Syracuse and UNC defeats by pasting Providence and William & Mary by a combined 7-0. After losing to Virginia, it rallied from three different deficits against Pacific to earn a double-overtime victory.
"The technical skill is definitely there," Doton said. "We're still developing how to use that skill since defenses in high school can't match what they'll see in the ACC. Defenses have speed, they're agile and ruthless; nobody will be alone in the circle for a shot. We've been using a lot of wide-set builds since each player has their strengths. We're just trying to get them their best opportunities to hone their craft."
As the season progresses, so will the freshmen. The Eagles host yet another top-ranked team this weekend when No. 2 Duke comes to town. The Blue Devils stood atop the poll after sweeping their games in the ACC/Big Ten Cup, solidifying its spot as one of the nation's elite despite a loss to Virginia.
But BC is undaunted, thanks to talented freshmen and a culture designed to help their development within a top-ranked program they call their own.
"Ymke and (co-captain Frederique Haverhals) do a fantastic job as leaders," Doton said. "It's really hard to change a culture, but our girls are continuously hard working. It's like what Bill Belichick always says because there are no days off. It's a really hard grind, and it's even harder at BC because they're being pulled in so many different directions with academics, competing in the ACC and learning how to study at a college level. They knew it was going to get hard, though, and the leaders help power the team. They've been responsible for helping get the team ready, corral the players and get the most out of every day."
The Eagles host the Blue Devils at 4 p.m. on Friday.
It didn't have anything to do with attitude or roster, both of which arrived on campus with a special feel. Instead, it had to do with something much more basic. This season, the attack is comprised of almost all freshmen who needed to answer how players never setting foot on NCAA turf would adjust to their new surroundings.
The Eagles are 7-3, having ascended to ninth in the nation. And though there are still growing pains, BC is laying a clear foundation for the next step in its ascension among the NCAA elite.
"When you play with four freshmen forwards, the connectivity between lines becomes really important," head coach Kelly Doton said. "It's a process and it requires the entire team to work together. Our team is really learning how to create scoring opportunities, especially against the best teams in the country. They've done a good job to this point, but (the freshmen) are still learning about what they have to do beyond just goal scoring ability."
The "best teams in the country" easily refer to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Though the Eagles are 7-0 in non-conference play, they lost their first three conference games. They enter this weekend ranked No. 9 in the NFHCA Coaches Poll, one of five league teams inside the top 10. But they've lost each game against league teams ranked higher in the national poll - No. 7 Syracuse, No. 5 North Carolina and No. 3 Virginia.
"The games have been reminders of the levels at which we have to practice," Doton said. "Every game is tough. I felt like we could've won the UNC game, which was both good and bad that it went to overtime. It was one of those games where once you get into overtime, anything can happen. But we've kept a positive attitude, and we try to focus every game on doing everything we can today to make ourselves better (tomorrow)."
Those lessons ultimately mean the youngsters expect to close the gap as they learn more about the college game. It's a process already well underway, evidenced by the top of the stat sheet. Jaime Natale, for example, is the team's leading scorer with nine points, scoring four goals.
Rookie Fusine Govaert both have three goals and an assist, tied for second on the team with Lucy Lytle and Ymke Rose Gote. That's some lofty company considering Gote is the team captain and Lytle is the team's returning leading scorer from a year ago. Freshmen Elizabeth Warner and Caroline McGovern are one point behind with six points. Warner has three goals on the year, while McGovern has two goals and two assists.
It's a result of supreme talent impacting the Eagles from the beginning of training camp.
"I have to remind myself that these girls have only been at college for five or six weeks," Doton said. "There's a newness and a freshness to the way they play the game. They're learning how to make the right cuts, and they get just as competitive as anyone else on the field. They get frustrated just like anyone else when they make a mistake."
That learning curve is coming despite clear successes. The winless conference record aside, BC is three wins away from matching last season's total and the Eagles rank No. 6 in the RPI. Each weekend, the team regained their mojo by earning bounce-back victories.
BC rebounded from its Syracuse and UNC defeats by pasting Providence and William & Mary by a combined 7-0. After losing to Virginia, it rallied from three different deficits against Pacific to earn a double-overtime victory.
"The technical skill is definitely there," Doton said. "We're still developing how to use that skill since defenses in high school can't match what they'll see in the ACC. Defenses have speed, they're agile and ruthless; nobody will be alone in the circle for a shot. We've been using a lot of wide-set builds since each player has their strengths. We're just trying to get them their best opportunities to hone their craft."
As the season progresses, so will the freshmen. The Eagles host yet another top-ranked team this weekend when No. 2 Duke comes to town. The Blue Devils stood atop the poll after sweeping their games in the ACC/Big Ten Cup, solidifying its spot as one of the nation's elite despite a loss to Virginia.
But BC is undaunted, thanks to talented freshmen and a culture designed to help their development within a top-ranked program they call their own.
"Ymke and (co-captain Frederique Haverhals) do a fantastic job as leaders," Doton said. "It's really hard to change a culture, but our girls are continuously hard working. It's like what Bill Belichick always says because there are no days off. It's a really hard grind, and it's even harder at BC because they're being pulled in so many different directions with academics, competing in the ACC and learning how to study at a college level. They knew it was going to get hard, though, and the leaders help power the team. They've been responsible for helping get the team ready, corral the players and get the most out of every day."
The Eagles host the Blue Devils at 4 p.m. on Friday.
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