SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) — Connie Harnum will open her 25th season as head coach of the Susquehanna University field hockey team Saturday at Cedar Crest and believes she has a team with the talent to make it a memorable silver anniversary.
The Crusaders return seven starters and eight letterwinners from a squad which went 8-8 a year ago, but just 2-5 in the Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth League. Add to that one of Harnum’s most talented recruiting classes with 16 freshmen, and its not hard to see why Harnum is so excited about this season and this team.
“We certainly have a good number of quality returning players and we’ve added 16 freshmen who are of such strong spirit,” said Harnum, who brings a 149-133-22 record (.526) into the season. “The way the players have bonded already is a positive sign.
“We have good attitude and everyone is enthusiastic and excited about what they can accomplish. We’re further ahead at this point than we’ve been in past years.”
THE DEFENSE
All three starting backs could potentially be starters from last season in senior tri-captain Amanda Reigle (Middleburg/Middleburg H.S.) at center, senior Taryn Moser (Lewistown/Lewistown H.S.) at right, and sophomore Sara Fuller (Mountaintop/Crestwood H.S.) at left. A pair of freshmen are also pushing for time in Teresa Ely (Montrose/Montrose Area H.S.), and Laurie Smith (Newport/Newport H.S.).
Reigle, Moser and Fuller combined to help the team compile a 1.37 team goals-against average last season. Reigle and Moser started all 16 games a year ago, and Reigle has started a team high 52 for her career.
“Amanda (Reigle) is a captain who has really blossomed in terms of intensity,” said Harnum.
Fuller cracked the starting lineup for 13 contests, playing in all but two for the season.
That group lent great support to sophomore Kylie Cook (Huntingdon/Huntingdon H.S.), who started in goal in her first year playing the position. She went on to finish third in the MAC in goals-against average with a 1.17 mark. She played in 15 games, starting the final 12, and also compiled a .860 save percentage, which was sixth best in the conference.
“Kylie really conditioned hard in the summer and wound up being one of our fastest players in the three-mile run. She’s worked very hard to master the position,” said Harnum.
THE MIDFIELDERS
Harnum also has veteran leadership in the midfield in the form of junior tri-captain Danielle Wenger (Hamburg/Hamburg H.S.) in the center. Already a two-year starter who has scored five goals and eight assists for 18 points in 33 games during her Crusader career, Wenger has the unenviable position of replacing last year’s first-team league All-Star and all-region center midfielder Brandy Crum.
“Dani likes the role (center midfielder and replacing Crum) very much. She was pretty receptive from the beginning and I feel she’s working really well there already,” said Harnum
Wenger’s leadership should help at the other two midfield positions where either sophomore Lisa Palladino (Jamison/Central Bucks East H.S.) or freshmen Lindsay Barr (Emmaus/Emmaus H.S.) or Lauren Maglietta (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional) will get the starting nods. Palladino had a solid freshman campaign, playing in 14 games and starting two while scoring four goals with two assists for 10 points.
THE FORWARDS
The Crusaders should have plenty of firepower up front with the return of last season’s leading scorer and second-team Commonwealth League All-Star in junior tri-captain Ali Hughes (Reading/Muhlenberg H.S.). The starting right wing, Hughes started all 16 games last season and led the team with 25 points on nine goals and seven assists – tying for the fourth-most points in a season at Susquehanna. She finished second in the final MAC statistics in scoring at 1.56 points per game, and also made the MAC’s Executive Director’s All-Academic Field Hockey Team.
“Ali’s ahead of where she was last year at this time. She’s our go-to player on offense,” said Harnum.
In addition to Hughes, sophomore Jeannie Yarrow (West Amwell, N.J./South Hunterdon Regional H.S.) also returns as the starter at right inner. Yarrow scored a hat-trick in her first collegiate game last season, and went on to finish fourth on the team in scoring with six goals and three assists for 15 points.
A pair of freshmen will round out the probable starters in Leah Bailor (Richfield/Middleburg H.S.) and Katie McKeever (Worcester, Mass./Methacton H.S.) at right inner and right wing respectively.
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