Playing far from home
Traveling 600 miles from home to play field hockey at a school in the Midwest may seem strange to some, but not to Erica Takach.
She had offers from other schools but came to Central because she was offered a scholarship and the opportunity to play immediately.
“I wanted to go to Columbia University, but it was too expensive and my parents couldn’t afford to send me there,” Takach said. “When they heard I was offered a scholarship at Central, my parents said ‘Erica pack your bags you are going to Mount Pleasant’.”
The sophomore midfielder grew up in Duncannon, Pa. where field hockey is one of the most popular women’s sport along with women’s basketball.
“Volleyball is practically unheard of,” she said. “I don’t know of one school around my hometown that has volleyball.”
Just the opposite is true in Michigan where very few high schools sponsor field hockey.
Takach started playing field hockey in seventh grade only because all her friends were going out for the team.
“At first I didn’t even really like it and I only did it because my friends played,” Takach said. “I got in trouble a lot because I didn’t pay attention at first.”
As Takach’s career progressed she found herself getting better. She played on an AAU junior Olympic team when she was in high school, and that is where CMU coach Cristy Freese first watched Takach play.
“The first time I saw her play I wrote in my notes ‘I want her on my team’,” Freese said. “She has very good skills to go along with an intense mindset when she is on the field.”
Recruiting becomes a more difficult task for Freese since field hockey is not so popular in the Midwest, but Freese said there are advantages.
“Recruiting is not harder, it is just different,” Freese said. “Not every player from the East Coast has a chance to go to schools like Penn State so they are looking to expand their horizons.”
Takach said playing AAU field hockey is what took her game to a higher level needed to play college field hockey.
“I got more from playing in tournaments than I did in high school,” Takach said. “When people heard that I got a scholarship they were surprised.”
This summer Tackach is preparing for the upcoming season which starts Sept. 3 at Ohio State University.
Takach spends a lot of her time training at the Indoor Athletic Complex in the hope that she can be a dominant force at the left midfielder position.
Tackach said playing midfield is one of the hardest positions in the game because she has to play both offense and defense.
With her experience and intense attitude toward the game, Freese said Takach can only make the team and herself better.
“I look for her to be one of the top players in the conference,” Freese said.
