HIGH SCHOOL FIELD HOCKEY
AUGUST 22, 2007
District Four Preview: Is it the year of the Jaguars?
By
NATHAN CHAMBERS
BeyondTheDerby.com
This district, arguably the most interesting and competitive of the four, nonetheless is there for Mercy to take - and even more is within the team’s reach.
The Jaguars, who fell inches short of beating eventual state runner-up Kentucky Country Day in a quarterfinal flick-off last season, have seven returning starters and several Division I college prospects among 13 seniors on the roster. They lost to Collegiate in a flick-off in the Apple Tournament quarterfinals last Tuesday but won the consolation bracket.
Mercy coach Kelly Setser (pictured) has a team that's solid all over the field. Senior forwards Alli Flood, whose 10 goals were tied for second on the team last season, and Katie Wiedmar, who had eight goals and nine assists, both are back. Senior Katie Norris - who also scored 10 goals and led in assists - rejoins classmates Allison Burns and Amy Wimsatt in the midfield, and seniors CJ Hermes and Mary Alice Pierce are back on defense.
“Mercy looks like the team to beat,” Presentation coach Jill O’Bryan said.
Manual, which won the district tournament and reached the state semifinals a year ago, has only two starters back for new head coach Terri Kendall. Those are junior midfielder Hannah Boyer, a Junior National Camp alternate who was one of five Kentuckians who advanced to USA Field Hockey’s Futures Elite level this summer, and senior goalie Evan Fowler.
“Most are new to varsity, but they’re solid in their talent and commitment to the team,” Kendall said. “We are all very excited about the possibilities this season as we continue to build our program.”
The Crimsons were unimpressive in the Apple Tournament last week but bounced back with a 2-0 win over Collegiate on Tuesday, a hint that Kendall may have good reason to be excited after all.
Jody Thornsberry, the athletic director at Holy Cross, could not find a coach and will do the job himself until he can. The school’s former boys’ basketball coach, Thornsberry is fortunate to have eight returning starters, including senior forwards Mary Lanham and Gina Perronie and senior defender Kayla Schum. Lanham was the team’s leading scorer last season.
There also is a new coach at St. Francis, where one former University of Louisville player has replaced another. Former coach Olivia Netzler was hired to head the program at Robert Morris University, and her assistant, Christy Hershey, was promoted to succeed her. Hershey was a two-time All-American in four years as Louisville’s starting goalie.
The Wyverns have five returning starters: senior goalie Mary Boatwright, senior midfielder Anna Furr, and junior defenders Hazel Levine, Rachel Linkous, and Laura Wallace.
Presentation is the sleeper in its third season under O’Bryan, whose peers voted her the 2006 Coach of the Year for quickly reviving the Toppers. Eventually, they could make the fight for the district's two state tournament spots the best in the state.
After losing 1-0 to Manual in the district semifinals, the Toppers return six starters - including standout senior midfielder Caitlin Maguire, senior forward Paige Wilson, and senior goalie Addie White.
“But we’re going to have to raise our level of play to compete with the best in our district,” O’Bryan said.
