The Central Michigan field hockey team is a step behind its opponents after losing first-team All-Mid-American Conference goalkeeper Melinda Curran and backup Kahla Schwall following the 2009 season.

With the starting position still up for grabs, three inexperienced candidates are in the running, though they don’t look at their situation as a competition.

“We’re a unit, like a goalie family,” said freshman Carissa Flocken. “I’m going to try my hardest every single day but, honestly, I don’t care if I start. If it means that someone is playing better than me, then that’s better for the overall team.”

Junior Anastasia Netto agreed everything they do is for the team.

“We all love field hockey and we all love CMU and we’re trying to find ways to work off each other’s strengths and compete healthily to win a MAC championship,” she said.

Netto had the most experience coming into the 2010 season, clocking 25 minutes, 16 seconds in a relief appearance against Iowa in 2008.

“Anna is a real solid kid on her angles and she’s really good on the penalty corner, (and) I think you saw that Sunday against Louisville,” said CMU head coach Cristy Freese.

Prior to graduating from St. Joseph’s Convent High School, Netto played field hockey there five seasons. She joined Carib Magnolias, the top women’s field hockey club in Trinidad, and joined the Trinidad national team when she was 15 years old.

As a third-string keeper the past two seasons at CMU, Netto was able to learn from Curran and realized the impact that one player could have on the whole team.

“Mel was a very strong willed individual, I looked up to her a lot,” she said. “She had a nickname of ‘Mad Dog’ and that fighting spirit that she brought into the game made her goal impenetrable.”

Flocken has started in both games this season, recording a .625 save percentage following games against No. 5 Michigan State and No. 13 Louisville.

“Carissa is a quicker goalkeeper on her feet, and can maybe make more of the dramatic saves, and she has quick reaction time,” Freese said.

Prior to joining CMU, Flocken played at Dexter High School, where she earned three varsity letters in field hockey. She was named Dexter’s top defensive player in 2008 and 2009, and earned honorable mention All-State honors in 2008 after racking up a 1.22 goals against average.

“It’s vastly different obviously from high school,” Flocken said. “Everything’s tougher, the speed of the game is a lot harder, but the good thing is we have a big class so we’re all making that transition together.”

The third candidate for the job is freshman Jaime Cutter, who has yet to see any game time after suffering a leg injury during the offseason. Freese believes she’s back to 100 percent and will be competing for the starting job.

“Jamie’s a lot like Anna in the sense that she’s going to be that solid goalkeeper that will step up, be set and cut down on the angles,” Freese said.

At Pequea Valley High School, Cutter lettered three times and finished with a career .760 save percentage. She was named Pequea Valley Athlete of the week during her senior season.

Freese talked to the goalkeepers this week about sticking in the present, and not dwelling on the past because that brings down your game.

“There is a lot of pressure on that position,” Freese said. “It’s their goal against average, even though it’s our team’s goals against average.”

With a month left of nonconference play, Freese expects to give each goalkeeper playing time and hopes to have a starter chosen before the first conference weekend, Oct. 1 against Kent State.

“Every game is a learning experience and every game we’re supposed to get better so hopefully an upward climb,” Flocken said.