Aug. 25, 2008

Once again there are high expectations surrounding the Johns Hopkins field hockey team. The Blue Jays return eight starters, including three All-Americans, from a team that went 14-6 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament a year ago. In fact, 13 of the 17 players that scored a goal in 2007 are back this season.

"I have great anticipation for the season," said head coach Megan C. Fraser. "And that starts with my three captains. They're outstanding leaders and huge contributors on and off the field."

Captaining the Blue Jays this season are senior All-Americans Leah Horton, Adair Landy and Emily Miller who, unlike past seasons, will play on separate lines in 2008. Miller will stay on the forward line, with Landy moving back to the midfield and Horton moving back to defense.

Horton is moving back to defense after playing in the midfield her first three seasons with the Blue Jays. A three-time All-Centennial selection, she scored seven goals and tallied nine assists in 2007 en route to earning Second Team NFHCA All-America honors. She enters the season ranked second in JHU history with 21 career assists, eight shy of Amy Bruschi's all-time record. Joining Horton on the back line will be junior Chantal Serle and sophomore Lindsay McKenna. Serle brings a tremendous amount of experience into 2008, having started 42 games in the last two seasons. McKenna will get the nod to start the season in the left back position, filling the whole left by graduate student Lucy Webster who is still rehabbing a torn ACL. Webster originally tore her ACL in the Centennial Conference championship game, but suffered a second tear during her rehab in the spring. Fraser expects her back on the field by October. McKenna, who saw action in just six games last season, really came into her own in the spring and at 6'0" brings great size and stick skills to the back line.

Also seeing time on the back line will be sophomores Sydney Greenberg and Hayden Maloney and freshman Zoe Koven. Greenberg is an exceptional marker and will be used in specialized situations. Koven is a solid player who should see a lot of playing time. Maloney, also coming off an ACL injury last season, is versatile and can play any of the back positions. Freshmen Ali Bahneman, Nicole Passmore and Olivia Ross will look to add depth to the backfield in their rookie seasons.

The midfield will be anchored by Landy, playing in the center, with sophomore Ariana Branchini playing the right and junior Brittany Bland on the left side. Landy finished second on the team last season with 25 points, while five of her 10 goals were game-winners. A Second Team NFHCA All-American in 2007, she enters her final season ranked in the top 10 in school history in career points (5th • 76), goals (T-6th • 29) and assists (T-7th • 18). Branchini brings terrific athleticism and speed to the right side. She'll be the Blue Jays' main corner hitter on attack corners this season. Bland has seen a lot of time in her first two seasons and started all 20 games in 2007.

Freshman Amy Wharton, a strong player with great stick work, will compete for time in the midfield, along with classmate Lynn Olesky. Seeing time on the back and midfield lines will be senior Meghan Marshall. An extremely versatile player, she is an outstanding leader with great knowledge of the game.

Leading the attack this season will be Miller, a 2006 NFHCA Second Team All-American. Miller had a great spring and worked extremely hard on diversifying her repertoire. She brings tremendous speed and stick skill to the left side. She enters the season ranked third in school history in career points (85) and fourth in career goals (35). Joining Miller will be senior Katie Wong and junior Andrea Vandersall. Wong's game has really matured in the offseason and she's extremely focused on her senior season. Vandersall also worked extremely hard in the spring and should pick up where she left off last fall. She came on big for the Blue Jays in the latter half of the season, scoring some key goals in big games.

There will be a lot of competition for playing time up front from junior Meaghan Malloy, sophomores Sarah Jacobs and Jenn Motylinski and freshmen Carly Bianco, Kelly Schwarz and Annie Shepard. Malloy had an outstanding spring and worked extremely hard to develop her game and become a more complete player. Jacobs brings great speed, while Shepard has a nice repertoire of shots. Schwarz has a great goal-scoring instinct, putting herself in the right place at the right time.

Juniors Catie Farrow and Kelly Kimmerling and freshman Elliana Openshaw will see time at both the midfield and forward positions. Farrow adds a great deal of experience to the front and midfield lines and could be poised for a breakout season in 2008. Returning in the goal for 2008 is unanimous First Team All-Centennial pick Sophia Tieu. She had a breakout season in 2007, playing all but 95 minutes in the cage, and boasting a 1.58 goals against average and a .748 save percentage. She also posted four shutouts for the Blue Jays. Tieu missed preseason while she was finishing summer classes in California and will not be available for the first two games. Getting the nod to start the season will be freshman Kim Stein. She had a tremendous preseason and brings a wealth of experience from her high school and club teams. She will see a lot of time in the goal this season.

For the second straight season, Hopkins has been picked to finish second in the Centennial Conference, garnering four first place votes and 94 total points; just three points behind four-time defending champion Ursinus. The Blue Jays finished second in the Centennial Conference in 2007 with a 9-1 record. Hopkins then fell to Ursinus in the Centennial Conference title game.

The Blue Jays open the season with the annual Black-Eyed Susan Tournament at Stevenson University. Hopkins will take on Christopher Newport in the first round. The Blue Jays will take on the Salisbury Sea Gulls in their home opener on September 17.

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