Huntington Field Hockey No Pushover
It might have struggled at times, but the Huntington High School field hockey was definitely no pushover for opponents. The Blue Devils finished with a 7-9 mark in Suffolk Division I play and fielded many skilled players who are expected to make an impact next fall.
Earning All-County honorable mention honors were Colleen Wright and Kianna Freitag. Sarah Casey was named All-Conference and Emily Arciprete was recognized as All-Division. The players picked up their awards at the Suffolk Field Hockey Coaches Assn. dinner at the Villa Lombardi in Holbrook.
Head coach Jillian Seher has positive feelings about her Blue Devil squad. "They work hard and love the sport," she said. "Consistent performance is what can be a goal in the future."
Wright and Casey were stand-outs at their midfield positions, Freitag was a talented wing and Arciprete led the team with nine goals from her center forward slot. Katia DeSimone and Sarah Kate Smith anchored the defense and Maggie Lombardo was the Blue Devils' superb goalie.
"Colleen's strong stick skills and natural ability show in her game," Seher said. Referees commented about Freitag's speed and agility on the field. Arciprete proved to be unstoppable in front of the goal. When she was there, she scored.
Smith developed into a top defensive player. "Sarah is a wall that challenges the other team when they came against her," Seher said. DeSimone also shined on defense. "She is young, but a strong force on defense," the coach said.
In Lombardo, who averaged eight saves per game, Huntington had one of Suffolk's finest goalies. "Maggie is very agile and has come a long way in a little time," Seher said.
Junior Kari Peer played a key supporting role, too, scoring four goals. The 20-player team featured a mix of seniors and underclassmen and seems well-positioned for future success.
The 2011 team is already shaping up nicely. "Strong juniors who are ready for their turn to shine," according to Seher include Wright, Arciprete, Peer, Lombardo, Samantha Palmer, Madison Biernacki and Jill Kocis.
Current sophomores DeSimone, Maggie Askerberg and Kaylyn Johnston are also expected to help form the nucleus of next year's squad. "They are returning more experienced and have a love for the game," said Seher, who was assisted by Kathy Wright.
This past fall's highlight came in a 1-1 overtime tie game against No. 2 Smithtown East. "The team came together and was a united front on the field," Seher said. "They played strong for an entire game. It was a team goal to play complete games and they did that day."