Penn State field hockey head coach Char Morett-Curtiss, along with seniors Katie Dembrowski and Aurelia Meijer, spoke Aug. 21 at Fall Sports Media Day ahead of the season opener Sunday vs. Virginia, touching on some keys to the upcoming season.
Senior Leadership
The team returns 12 seniors to a roster that reached the NCAA quarterfinals before falling to eventual national champion Connecticut last season. Despite the early exit in the NCAA Tournament, the returning players gained valuable knowledge from the experience.
"We have a very large senior class this year which is exciting because they come in with a little bit more knowledge than they have obviously in the past years but what I would say most impressively about this senior class is that they've just really grown together as student-athletes and as competitors," Morett-Curtiss said.
Morett-Curtiss named seniors Jenny Rizzo and Dembrowski team captains but with the team filled with experienced players, they will not be the only leaders on the field.
"I think at times they may not wear the captain band but they're going to be asked to be leaders on the field," Morett-Curtiss said.
With a veteran group, Morett-Curtiss plans on starting seven to eight seniors this season.
Exciting Preseason
Before the team returned to campus for preseason, players worked out on their own during the summer to prepare for the season. This allowed the team to compete at a high level from the start of preseason.
"I think everyone put in the work this summer, came back fit and ready to get after it this season," Dembrowski said.
Morett-Curtiss, who is entering her 32nd season at Penn State, said this preseason has been one of her most fun during her time at the school.
"It's been an outstanding preseason and a lot of it really has to do with the two players (Dembrowski and Meijer) that I have beside me because they bring a lot of great energy to practice every day," Morett-Curtiss said.
New Faces
A pair of first-year newcomers, defender Anna Simon and forward Meghan Reese, have
impressed Morett-Curtiss during the preseason and look set to see playing time this year.
According to Morett-Curtiss, Simon has transitioned well into the program but like many
freshmen still has a lot to learn.
"We have six freshmen. They all started in the summer and really worked hard with Steve Cuccia, our strength and conditioning coach. They got out on the field and played a lot so I think that really acclimated them to the level they're now expected to perform," Morett-Curtiss said.
While the freshmen have had to raise their level of play, Reese has had to learn how to play smarter rather than harder.
"Meghan Reese is a player that is very aggressive on the forward line," Morett-Curtiss said. "She'll literally run through a wall, but we just don't need her to run through the wall. We're just trying to teach her to keep the aggressiveness but play a little bit smarter at times instead of harder."
Team Strategies
Morett-Curtiss wants her team to play with speed and aggressiveness and be a "go-go-go" team.
"When people come see us play, they're going to see girls that are really playing with a lot of speed," Morett-Curtiss said. "They're going to play with a lot of ball speed and with a lot of focus to get the ball to goal and score."
Morett-Curtiss does not plan on slowing down the pace this season and noted the growth her team made from their first scrimmage to their second.
"We took a big step going from our (Saint Joseph's exhibition) game to Syracuse scrimmage with just the wave of pressure we had on the ball and the support we had going up and down the field," Morett-Curtiss said.
Championship Expectations
The Nittany Lions are looking to make another deep run in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments and the seniors on the team are motivated to accomplish these goals.
"As a senior class, we're all very competitive and I think that we all have that goal in mind of (winning) Big Ten championships and NCAA championships," Dembrowski said. "This is our last year to do it, so everyone is motivated and ready to do as well as we can this year."
In addition to the experienced players on the team leading the way, they will also need help from the younger players. To bridge the experience gap, the veteran players have made it a point to be a resource for the new players.
"I think trust is the biggest thing," Meijer said. "Making sure that they know that they can always come to us for whatever it is, if it's on or off the field."
The team has come together and set their goals and are ready for the season to get underway.
"I think everyone has the same goals set and we're really excited," Dembrowski said.
