WEST MILFORD — Until it actually unfolds, there’s no telling just how many games the West Milford High School field hockey program will win this fall. But it can be stated with a great degree of certainty that the Highlanders will be well prepared and well coached as soon as the regular season commences.
After finishing 2014 with an overall record of 8-9-3, West Milford returns varsity players including Glenna Dunlop (senior, defense, captain), Jaclyn Sajban (senior, defense, captain), Laura Freedman (senior, forward, captain), Gillian Grahame (senior, midfielder), Emily Magasic (senior, midfielder), Casey Butera (senior, forward), Maeve Gordon (junior, forward) and Bianca Cano (junior, forward).
Newcomers hoping to impact the varsity lineup this year include Megan Lamb (junior, goalie) and Aly Roskowsky, a senior who Highlander head coach Krista Provost said took off last season to work.
“Obviously my three senior captains-Dunlop, Freedman and Jaclyn Sajban [will be called upon as leaders]," Provost said. “The team voted for them last fall as captains for this season and already they have stepped up in tremendous ways. The three girls volunteered their time throughout the winter to help out at youth field hockey clinics and camps as well as during the summer for a whole week. The girls work well on and off of the field together and know what it takes to make our team continue to grow as a family. Along with those qualities, the girls are academic achievers and help to set the tone that school is important and how to be the model student-athlete. I have high hopes for these girls as we start the season.
“An unfortunate injury came this season to senior athlete, Daniella Rodas. This girl has worked so hard over these years and I know how upsetting this injury was for her following a spring league game, she torn her ACL and meniscus and had to have surgery in the spring. Even though she cannot return to play field hockey until later October, she has attended all summer practices and volunteered at the youth camp for a week. She is a forward athlete and will be working closely with me to help improve the front line and I am looking forward to this and helping her cope with the injury and realize that she still will be maintaining an important part on the team we need her, whether she's injury-free or not."
Provost is well aware of what areas her team needs to improve upon as the regular season draws near.
“For the past few seasons our team has had trouble offensively with scoring," Provost said. “This season I want to break that streak and make some improvements. We are changing our forward formation and the girls are extremely anxious for this new set up. Over the summer my forwards went to the turf field every other night, on their own, just passing the ball and working on individual movements.
“Another team goal that I have for my girls is to continue to build up the program and work as a team. My girls responded well last season to building up a positive culture and environment and I can already tell that this will happen this season. The girls often got together throughout the off-season to go out to eat or do something fun and these are the types of relationships that last a lifetime and it makes me pride knowing they were developed through field hockey."
The Highlanders compete in the Big North Conference Independence Division and are scheduled to open the regular season on Thursday, Sept. 10 at Westwood. Their first home game is slated for Sept. 12 versus Lakeland.
“I feel as though we truly have a solid shot at upsetting some teams this season," Provost said. “We are contenders and ready to play against our Lakeland rivals and other Conference rivals such as Wayne Hills and Northern Highlands. Our Division has great competitive teams and my girls love a challenge, so I cannot wait to face them."