Ten field hockey players earn honors
Ten field hockey players were named to the Division I National Academic Squad by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association March 3.
To be eligible, players had to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.30 for the fall 2002-03 semester and be nominated by their coach.
Freshmen Kim Ferris, Alisa Folk, Laura Glaze and Erica Takach all made the team. Sophomores Stasia Burroughs, Michelle Fogle and Kristi Seufert also made the list, along with juniors Allison Foland, Kerri Krasnow and Laura Please.
The Chippewas host two spring league games at the Indoor Athletic Complex Saturday against Michigan State and Michigan. After having five players graduate, CMU will use the spring season to fill some holes.
“The biggest benefit of the spring games is how good the competition is,” said Head Coach Cristy Freese. “The games are so intense and it will give us six games to work with a new combination of defenders.”
Jeanette Spero and Maria Neiswender were both on CMU's corner offense and will leave a big question mark for CMU with their departure.
“The total focus of the spring league is on our team,” Freese said. “Our offensive and defensive corner plays are a little bit different, and we will work new plays in order to see what works.”
Freese said players can impress the coaches at this point of the season.
“A player can really solidify their position and erase all doubt,” she said.
The players are anxious to be playing after conditioning and practicing every day at 7 a.m.
“The off season is a lot of hard work and after working so hard it's nice to have some games,” said sophomore Michele Fogle.
“We want to prove that last year wasn't a fluke and we're a good team,” said Stasia Burroughs. “Even though we lost five seniors, we’re not backing down from anybody.”
This is the time for young players to impress CMU's coaching staff.
“I really think that how we do in the spring league will carry over to the regular season,” said freshman Kim Ferris. “Playing in the spring league will give us an edge over the incoming freshman, and hopefully we can gel and play well as a team.”
The game against MSU will start at 9:30 and they will play Michigan at 2:30.
