Daniel Boone grad Dotterweich is excelling in the classroom and will return as experienced goalie for Kutztown
Whether she’s on the field, in the classroom or sprinting on the streets near her home, you can be certain that Katie Dotterweich is giving 100% effort.
If not, she will have to answer to her No. 1 critic, Katie Dotterweich.
The Kutztown University junior field hockey goalie sets high standards for herself and expects to achieve them.
“My coaches always pick on me that it’s never good enough for me,” said Dotterweich, a 2018 Daniel Boone graduate. “I always want the impossible. I’m always so tough on myself that sometimes it’s my downfall but it can really help me push myself. I’m definitely my harshest critic.”
In the classroom there has been little to criticize. Dotterweich carries a 4.0 grade-point average with a double major in elementary education and special education. She is a two-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association Scholar of Distinction.
Dotterweich is preparing for her third season at Kutztown by working at home in Douglassville during the coronavirus pandemic. She has painted lines on the street to mark 30 yards and 50 yards for sprints.
In addition she puts on her blockers to kick balls and work on other agility drills.
“It’s definitely a little more difficult for us goalies to get touches in,” Dotterweich said. “I have to be a little more creative.
“We’ve all been pretty much selfreliable and self-accountable for what we’ve been putting in. We know it’s going to matter come August.”
Dotterweich returns as the goalie with the most experience on a Kutztown team that reached the PSAC championship game and NCAA Division
II Final Four last season for the first time since 1988.
Dotterweich had a 1.25 goalsagainst average and .633 saves percentage last year while winning seven of her 10 decisions. She was reunited with former Oley Valley and La Salle goalie Rachel Hartman, KU’s goalie coach who coached Dotterweich during her senior year at Daniel Boone.
“It’s really awesome to get to play for her again,” said Dotterweich, who played in 15 games as a freshman. “She knows so much from her experience playing. She’s always looking for new drills and new skills to teach us. It’s been really fun having her as a coach again.”
Dotterweich describes herself as an aggressive goalie who tries to prevent opponents’ scoring opportunities before they unfold. She said she also has learned to trust in the defenders in front of her.
“I’m also very vocal and I trust my defenders,” Dotterweich said. “My communication is one of my strengths. I make sure that all my
players are in the right positions.
“I’m sure we’re going to be really strong this year. I have a really
great feeling. Our defense is absolutely solid. It’s going to be an exciting season.”