Trottier leads team into the MAC tourney
Senior field hockey player Tarah Trottier has never won a game in the MAC Tournament.
But today, she will have an opportunity to change that when she leads CMU against Miami University in the first round at Kent, Ohio. The game begins at 2:30 p.m.
“My whole mentality is we do not want to be the team that loses to Miami,” Trottier said. “It would be nice to be up 5-0 at half time because we don’t want to give them any confidence.”
The RedHawks have not won a MAC contest since defeating CMU in the first round of the 2000 MAC Tournament.
“We are peaking at the right time,” Trottier said. “The team is playing well, but we will still have to be at the top of our game.”
A native of Kitchener, Ontario, Trottier was not sure she would be playing collegiate field hockey.
“I wanted to go away to school, and I would keep playing field hockey if I could,” she said. “My dad and I sent out tapes to 50 schools in the Midwest and I chose CMU.”
Coach Cristy Freese said recruiting Trottier was a long shot.
“The area she comes from is not highly recruited, so we had to scout her by watching high school game tape,” Freese said. “She didn’t come with the experience that a lot of the U.S players did.”
Despite this, Freese saw Trottier as a gifted athlete and did not hesitate to take a chance on her.
“We don’t always recruit who we want, and in Tarah’s case we got to recruit a really good athlete and watch her develop,” Freese said. “Her success shows not only her work ethic but her commitment to this program.”
Senior co-captain Katie Coccia said Trottier leads the team with her business-like attitude.
“She is a pacesetter and when she is on, the whole team is on,” Coccia said. “If the team is down, she brings them up because she is such a tenacious player.”
As a co-captain, Trottier strives to be a team leader.
“She sets a good example to the team by working hard and being a great leader,” Freese said. “She helps the team to stay focused and gets them mentally prepared for each game.”
Trottier’s coach credits much of her success to her strong focus.
“She is so focused during a game that it is hard to talk to her,” Freese said. “She has developed into a good passer and has worked to make the whole forward line dangerous.”
Trottier is the team’s leading scorer with 12 goals and 28 points. She will play on the North team in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association’s senior all-star game Nov. 22.
Trottier is confident in her role this weekend as she looks to lead the Chippewas to her first MAC Tournament title.
“I know that my job as a forward is to score, and keep the ball in the other teams end,” she said. “It would be nice if I could get some goals on the board early.”
