Following a 10-7-1 season in 2014 and a berth in the Central, Group 1 Tournament, the Pirates field hockey team will look to add to their win total in 2015.
Cinnaminson fell in the second round of the playoffs, 5-1 to Haddon Township, after having a bye in the first round.
Head coach Gina Quaranta, in her third season at the helm, is looking forward to what 2015 will bring.
“My first season was kind of challenging with trying to match the athlete expectations with a new coaching staff and how we wanted the game to be played. And then last year was very successful with a larger group of seniors on the team. We had 9 seniors and they all acted like leaders and kind of brought everyone together. It was sad to lose those 9 girls to graduation and many of them were starters. If they weren’t starters, they were coming off the bench. There are some big shoes to fill here this season.”
With just two seniors this year, the team will be underclass heavy, Quaranta is excited to see the knowledge of field hockey from the younger girls.
“It’s been fun, but a long, challenging process to teach our method and style of play. The newer girls came in with a wealth of knowledge about field hockey, which we weren’t used to in the past. Now, we are trying to mesh them into the program with how we like to have the ball moved around the field.”
One of the strongest parts of the 2015 squad, which was a strength in 2014, will be goalkeeping. In 2014, the Pirates recorded eight shutouts en route to 10 victories.
The leadership within the program is very strong, according to Quaranta.
“It’s very helpful having really friendly girls who are leaders on the field. Everyone helps each other and we kind of run our group like a family. The girls who have played before are helping the younger girls to learn our style of play.”
Since camp opened in August, a major focus has been fundamentals.
“I still go through fundamentals every season and aspects of offense and defense. We start out playing 11 girls versus 0 and teaching them where the ball should move. Then I gradually add defensive players to put pressure on the offense. We focus on the way we want to work the ball down the field.”
Quaranta spoke to the unity of her team and how hard they have worked since day one of camp.
“If somebody is out of place, or someone makes a mistake, it is the entire team’s responsibility to move the ball down the field. Working together is something we’re going to continue to work on this year. I would like for that to be our strong point. If one block falls out, it is up to the rest of the team to rebuild that block and re-work the ball down the field.”
Field hockey opens the 2015 season on Friday, September 11 with a game at Holy Cross at 3:30pm.
[…] 2015 season for Pirates field hockey began with a bang as Cinnaminson traveled to rival Holy Cross and returned home with a 3-2 […]