Lily Ives ’23
Sports Editor
It was a season of thrillers for the Trinity College Field Hockey team. The Bantam squad saw their first trip to the NCAA Final Four games since 1998, and to make matters even more special, hosted the NCAA Final Four tournament here at the Robin L. Sheppard Field. Though the Bantams were edged by Johns Hopkins 1-0 in the semifinal game, nothing can take away from the incredible season filled with dominating success. The Bantams now find themselves intensely gearing up for what’s ahead as they utilize the off-season to best prepare for the 2022 season.
The Tripod sat down with Emma Cohen, Riley Nichols, and Emma Cropper – three rising seniors on the Trinity Field Hockey team, to get a glimpse into their off-season prep. Nichols, a 2022 selected captain, spoke about the team’s main emphasis this spring, “since we don’t have to prepare each week for upcoming games, we’ve had the time to focus on our fundamentals.” To this point, Cohen added, “this off-season is a great opportunity for us to bring out our confidence and to push each other so we are best prepared come August.”
Cropper noted that last season, the Bantams were considered the underdogs, especially in the Final Four play, but expects things to be different in the upcoming 2022 season as she declared, “we now have an X on our backs.” Cropper went on to say that one of the most critical elements of the off-season is “forming stronger relationships with each other on the team in a less high-pressure environment.” Keeping up the momentum from last season is also a critical theme of this off-season for the Bantams. Cropper outlined the important weekly schedule for the field hockey squad, which includes three weekly practices and three weekly lifts. In addition to the training on and off the field, Cropper also drives home the importance of maintaining a close team culture and building for the future, stating, “we have a lot of team lunches and meetings with recruits where we get to know girls who are interested in playing here at Trinity.”
Nichols, Cropper, and Cohen, all expressed excitement for the incoming class of 2026, with eight recruits joining the field hockey squad in the fall of 2022. With excitement already building for next season, the Bantams are committed and dedicated to taking it day-by-day, especially during the hot days of June and July. Nichols points out just how critical it is for every member of the team to be preparing over summer, “Summer is a lot about everyone motivating themselves when there is no one watching.” Cohen strongly added to this theme, noting that “accountability is huge for us during the summer months leading up to our season.”
Yes, the 2022 season is still months away. However, the excitement and energy racing across the Trinity Field Hockey team is contagious. With the spotlight now moving toward them, as they work to build on the success and momentum of last season, perhaps another Final Four tournament is calling their name.
+ There are no comments
Add yours