Conestoga Valley's field hockey team, with no seniors last year, definitely will have more experience when this season opens Aug. 22 against Central Dauphin. "We didn't lose anyone," says Ellen Buckwalter.
Players attending media day:
(from left in photo)
Emily Lapp, senior, forward or midfielder
Jane Younger, senior, goalie
Ellen Buckwalter, senior, defender
"We kind of had to pick up being leaders on the team a little earlier than our senior year, so we were captains as juniors," adds Lapp.
"We had to step into senior shoes as juniors because there were no seniors," says Younger.
That experience gives them great skills to put into the new season, the three agree, and without a JV team last year, the experience freshmen gained while playing well on the varsity prepares them to contribute this year.
Lapp says the team did a great job of adjusting to the new competition of Section 2 after having played in Section 1 the previous year. The team went 5-4-1 and missed the District 3 playoffs by a tiny fraction of a point.
"At the end of the season we were waiting to see if we were going to get in or not, because it was like down to the last game. And I think our goal is we don't want to have to put ourselves in that position," says Buckwalter.
"We want it to be our doing," says Younger.
Adding to their leadership potential, Buckwalter is class treasurer and is involved with Students Against Destructive Decisions. Younger serves Women's Liberation Alliance, which she describes as girls supporting girls.
Lapp has committed to play field hockey next year at East Stroudsburg University and Buckwalter at Washington & Lee University, Lexington, Va. Younger is undecided.
All three players were pleased to hear of the upcoming induction of Emma and Brooke DeBerdine into the Lancaster County Sports Hall of Fame. The sisters have played field hockey on the U.S. Olympic Team and the Women's National Team.
Lapp says Brooke "came and actually ran one of our practices last season after the Olympics. It was really fun."
LNP | LancasterOnline hosted Field Hockey Media Day at its downtown Lancaster office to connect local media with Lancaster-Lebanon League football players and coaches.
