Blue Devil JV Field Hockey Steps Up
Huntington’s junior varsity field hockey team featured skilled and hard-nosed players. There was a nice blend of talent and personalities. The Blue Devils were competitive and finished with a 5-4-4 mark, walking off the field at the end of the season with their collective heads held high.
Head coach Nancy Wilson called her 17-player squad “such a terrific group of ladies.” The leading Blue Devil scorers were Kelly Askerberg, Katia DeSimone Jenny Duffy and Maggie Lombardo, who also recorded five shutouts in goal. The defensive unit was headed by Brielle Blatt, Jamie Wohl and Katherine Shirley.
“The team was a young, open-minded, positive group of athletes,” Wilson said. “Players effectively connected on-and-off the field. They saw possibilities, worked diligently and capitalized on opportunities.”
Players such as Maggie Askerberg, Emily Kata and Sydney Andree gave the Blue Devils a level of depth that some teams can only dream about. The Huntington squad took its time getting to know the intricacies of high school field hockey. It’s a game that is more aggressive than some casual observers might realize.
“The young ladies never stopped learning and growing,” Wilson said. “They were so much fun and made me laugh and enjoy each moment.” Many of the players seem entirely capable of becoming productive on the varsity level in the very near future.
“The team’s greatest accomplishment was taking independent individual skills to a team approach,” Wilson said. “Players learned to see the field and their teammates for passing and protecting. A lot of drills, practices and walkthroughs enabled players to understand the concept. We now need to improve spacing and increase sprint speed.”
Wilson said she was unsure of who would return to the JV next fall and who would advance to the varsity, but whomever she ultimately coaches she’s “excited to continue to grow seeking to be the very best we can be.”
Blue Devil Notes: Huntington was captained by sophomores Brielle Blatt, Maggie Lombardo, Alexandra Martinolich and Kristina Salese . . . Jamie Wohl earned a reputation for being a solid protector of the goal from her sweeper position . . . Sydney Andree showed exceptional flexibility in being able to step-up to any challenge on the field . . . Defensive back Kyle Shirley had “wonderful drives and stops” and helped keep “our team’s ball possession solid,” Wilson said.
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