Skidmore uses home grown talent
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Skidmore College field hockey has a winning tradition under head coach Beth Hallenbeck and the Thoroughbred program can credit both past Section II talent and the current crop of local players that have made an impact at the Division III program.
The Thoroughbreds head to the University of Rochester in the Liberty League final at 1 p.m. as the defending champs look for their 10th title under Hallenbeck as Section II stars senior Zoe McGuire (Delmar/Emma Willard), junior Marissa Folts (Saratoga/ Saratoga H.S.), sophomore Mary Beth Zahnleuter (Clifton Park/ Emma Willard), freshman Sarah Winters (Saratoga/Saratoga H.S) and Natalie Metzger (Niskayuna/ Niskayuna H.S.) are looking to continue to make contributions.
“This area has lot of great local field hockey and I am really trying to keep some of that at home and we’ve definitely succeeded over the years and certainly now is no different,” Beth Hallenbeck said. “It creates a great culture for us.
We have parents who travel from all over the place, but when they’re just down the road it’s nice, we get that support. There is quality field hockey being played all over, but right in our back yard, so why not keep them here.”
Folts sent the ball in from inside the time line and Grace Florsheim got her stick down to redirect the pass that gut under the Vassar goalie in Wednesday’s Liberty League semifinal. The Thoroughbreds would advance to the final on Miranda Davenport’s overtime goal 96 seconds into the extra session.
For the trio of Saratoga County products Skidmore offered everything they wanted on and off the field.
“I was debating between DI and DIII and I looked at both levels, but then I leaned a little bit more towards DIII,” junior defender Marissa Folts said. “I came and did a visit here and I’ve seen Skidmore play throughout high school I’ve come to games because it’s local and it’s such a high caliber of play that I think we dominate at this level.
“I like playing on a team that is so high skilled. I like getting challenged everyday even being on a DIII team. It’s fun to play on.”
Mary Beth Zahnleuter made two education choices to date, deciding to attend Emma Willard for three years and then choosing Skidmore College.
“Academics led me to Emma Willard, it wasn’t their amazing field hockey program,” Mary Beth Zahnleuter said. “I wanted the school to have a field hockey program which is why I didn’t choose some other schools, but the academics led me to Emma Willard.”
Here college search was challenging.
“I wasn’t sure where I wanted to be, what I wanted to major in, anything. I was very unsure of all of it,” Zahnleuter said. “Someone suggested Skidmore and once I started looking into it, everything fell into place.
“They had a great field hockey program with a great coach, great players. The academics were super strong and I ended up liking the location, how it was so close. I’m a local girl and I wanted to keep it lo- cal, keep the field hockey program strong and show what everyone what everybody can do in this area.”
Skidmore freshman Sarah Winters is just a year removed from the Blue Streaks field hockey program and four consecutive trips to the Section II title game and her one trip to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Final Four. A successful program was important in her college search.
“I was looking at some DI schools as well,” Sarah Winters said. “I wanted to be on a team that loved the sport. I felt that some of the DI programs I was looking at the girls just went for the title, DI, meanwhile their seasons weren’t that successful and they kind of went through the motions.
“When I came to look at Skidmore and come to all their games I saw that every girl gave it their all and one of the alumni who I’m really close with, Elise Britt, she has this famous rule where ‘If you die on the field your teammates will carry you off, so just give it your all.’ That’s exactly what every person on this team brings. When I saw that I just instantly knew I wanted to be a part of this family and have the success that they do.”
Folts and Winters played on the Blue Streaks squad that went to the Final Four and have a chance to share in their first Liberty League title together, but know it won’t be easy.
“Post season is similar to the regular season because you always want to give it your all every single game, but it’s a little bit different because it’s do or die and it comes down to heart at the end of these games,” Folts said. “Everyone that is in post-season are skilled teams and we’re all here for a reason.”
No. 2 seeded Skidmore (14-6) take on No. 1 University of Rochester (163) at 1 p.m. Follow game links to the live stats site or pay-per-view video at www.skidmoreathletics.com