Field Hockey Looks to Reclaim Division Crown

Despite a successful regular season, a run deep into the playoffs and a share of the division title in 2010, the field hockey team is still looking for that elusive win against Wall Township in the playoffs.

The Quakers took home a share of the Liberty Division title with Rancocas Valley in 2010, something that did not sit well with the graduating seniors and the underclassmen on the team.

“The past three seasons we have lost to Wall in the Group III Sectional Finals. So that’s our goal, to definitely put up a strong regular season, get a good seed for the state tournament and get a chance to play them again in the sectional finals so we can beat them and move on to the state tournament,” head coach Ali Collins said.

The Quakers finished 2010 with a record of 16-6, but this year’s senior class knows their schedule will be tough as usual within the division.

“The senior class took ownership of the team right off the bat, as early as June, when we started having practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Collins said. “They have just taken charge right away. They have a no-quit and a winning attitude and they have been great with the underclassmen.”

The 2011 team features eight seniors, half the number that graduated from the 2010 team that made three consecutive runs deep into the playoffs.

“We want to improve our overall attitude towards winning because last year we came in with a hesitant attitude," said Cally Dougherty. "I think this year we’ve come in and we have more heart, which can help us win."

This year’s team is leaning on its experience to help change the attitude and culture around the club. Aside from attitude, trust and passing has become a focal point of practices since camp opened.

“We’ve been working on trusting each other and working on the field along with passes," Paige Macrae said. "We don’t want any more of a one-on-one game because against some of the harder teams we play we will need more teamwork, so we have been working on passing and receiving up and down the field."

Moorestown has several games on their schedule they consider major rivals, such as Shawnee and Eastern. But Collins likes having a tough schedule because it prepares her team for the opponents they will face in the playoffs toward the end of the fall.

The Quakers have started the season with a 1-2 record, with a win against Delran and losses to Washington Township and Shawnee. They travel to Burlington Township on Friday, Sept. 16, and the Peddie School on Saturday.