By Julia Harris, Staff Reporter

Four players on the varsity girls’ field hockey team have committed to colleges, despite challenges surrounding college recruitment. There have normally been one or two commitments made per year, and players attribute the high numbers this year to the team’s companionship and dedication

Since each girl committed individually over time, girls field hockey head coach Regan Marscher didn’t have just one reaction to the high number of commitments. 

“(The commitments) didn’t happen in one night. It’s a gradual process, but any time an athlete commits I think that’s a great thing for them,” Marscher said.

Senior Carly Hynd, who has been on the varsity field hockey team since she was a freshman and committed to University of Maryland in her sophomore year, was excited to find out about her teammates’ commitments. 

“I was so excited for them. I know how much they also love the sport, and I was excited that I was going to be able to watch them play in college,” Hynd said.

Committing to a college is usually a lengthy process, so for most of the girls, COVID-19 was not a  burden on their decision-making. Division I and II schools have had their commitment lists finalized for the class of 2021 for months. However, for the class of 2022, field hockey coaches and recruits are relying on virtual connections instead of face-to-face ones with potential players.

Junior Lily Wolfe, who committed to Quinnipiac University in September, faced some adversity with not being able to talk to coaches or future teammates in person because virtual conversations are less personal. Although the only way to communicate with them currently is through phone, Wolfe tries to make the best of the situation by participating in zoom calls.

“I think that I have still gotten to know them well from all the zoom calls. I did them with one of the players and that was nice to see how they enjoyed the campus and the coaches,” Wolfe said.

The girls believe the motivation and dedication of ’Stoga field hockey players in the past few years, especially among younger girls, is the reason behind the high number of commitments. The players who committed said the closeness of the team is a crucial aspect of a successful season and leads to more commitments.

“Our team is really close off and on the field. I think that helps a lot with connecting passes and knowing how each other play,” said Jessica Mullin, a senior on the team who committed to the University of Richmond this past August. “We can talk to each other and even yell at each other sometimes when somebody needs feedback.” 

The girls all talked about their excitement to begin college next fall and their love for the schools they ended up committing to. Senior Amanda Foster, who is committed to Drexel University for field hockey, mentioned wanting to commit ever since she was in eighth grade. 

“I wanted to commit because I wanted to continue playing for as long as I could because I love the strategy and technique of the sport,” Foster said. “I have always admired the athletes’ motivation and love for their sport in Division I athletics.”

As for the future of field hockey college commitments, Marscher is hopeful that the trend will continue. She mentioned that there are juniors currently on the team who she is hopeful will commit.

“I would be surprised if we don’t have three or four kids committed next year. I think four is a good number to hope for in a program,” Marscher said. “The recruiting process can definitely be stressful, so it’s nice when the players feel like they found an awesome college to continue their career.”