Field hockey a passion for Habelow
BELMONT — To say field hockey is in AnnMarie Habelow’s blood would qualify as a gross understatement.
Habelow’s mother, Eileen (Lewis) Habelow, was an All-American goalie at Syracuse and later inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame. Her older sister, Melissa, starred at Belmont High School and earned all-New England honors at Keene State.
The talent didn’t stop there. AnnMarie Habelow is well on her way to forging her own identity in the sport. As the reigning Middlesex League Liberty MVP and Boston Herald AllScholastic, the high-scoring forward led Belmont to a 13-2-1 record and a No. 4 seed in the upcoming Division 1 North tournament.
Anyone who has seen Habelow play raves about her skills and tenacious attitude. It’s something she’s had since her early days of hitting a ball in her driveway.
“I messed up a lot of sticks playing out there,” Habelow said with a laugh. “I’ve been playing since elementary school and I loved it right away. My mom and sister were so into it that it became a way of bonding with them.”
Jess Smith has been the head coach at Belmont for 12 years. She saw Habelow as a youngster and knew a special talent was there.
“She puts a lot of time into her technique and that’s what makes her rise above the rest,” Smith said. “There are a lot of fast athletes, but her technical skills are very good. AnnMarie says she was the same as everyone else when she was in elementary school, but you could see early on the way she played that she was going places.”
One of those places Habelow is heading to in the fall is powerhouse Louisville. She gave a verbal commitment last year to the Kentucky school, currently ranked seventh in the country, and can’t wait to head south.
“I fell in love with the coaching staff, I built up a good relationship with them,” Habelow said. “I also wanted to play at a city college with a good city life.”
A three-time Middlesex League All-Star, Habelow received the thrill of her young life last summer when she was invited to the United States Under-19 Junior National camp. While many felt an invitation was a shoo-in, the official news took her breath away.
“It was overwhelming to be picked. This was something I’ve wanted since the sixth grade,” Habelow said. “Then to go there and make it past the first round was so surreal. I can’t even put it into words.”
One thing Habelow has no problem expressing is her dream of helping the Marauders advance deep into the postseason. In each of her first three years, Belmont advanced one round further, reaching the sectional semifinals last year.
Nothing would please her more than to go out as champions.
“The goal is to go all the way. It’s (the seniors) last time and we want it all,” Habelow said. “We are a very competitive team. You’re not on this team unless you want to go all the way.”