Hoping to build off of a 7–12 season and quarterfinals exit in the Central Jersey Group IV tournament, Lenape High School head field hockey coach Sarah Moretti knows it will take a total team effort to do so.
“The girls are really stepping up, both seniors and underclassmen. It’s been real nice to see the younger girls on the team stepping up and being vocal,” Moretti said. “We lost our core group of girls last year, so it’s great to see new players taking over those spots.”
With a young team playing in a conference that is perennially difficult, Moretti, who is in her sixth season as head coach, said certain expectations have to be adjusted.
“We definitely have expectations but you want to have realistic expectations. Not to be negative, but we know we are going to struggle in games against certain opponents. In games against Eastern or Shawnee, our goals are different. We want to compete, limit their corners, control their scoring as much as we can,” Moretti said. “We need to strive to make sure we win the games against the opponents we know we can beat. We always look to compete with district rivals Cherokee and Seneca and conference rival Cherry Hill East.”
According to Moretti, the offense for the Lady Indians should be fun to watch, as they return starters on the frontline and midfield, but the defense may be an issue.
“Our defense will be our biggest struggle. We’ve seen some injuries on that side that are going to hurt us,” Moretti said.
Moretti will lean on her returning seniors, midfielder Taylor Nesnay, forward Jenna Priore, as well as defenders Rachel Smalfus and Katie O’Brien. Nesnay has embraced a leadership role within the young team.
“She just loves field hockey, and she knows she has the potential to be a great player, so she is just constantly looking to improve,” Moretti said. “She was elected a captain last year as a junior, which speaks volumes about her ability to lead by example. She never cuts corners, never jogs through a sprint. When we take a break during practice, she’s up putting shots into the net.”
Playing the center midfielder position this season means an increase in responsibility for Nesnay on both the offensive and defensive ends. According to Moretti, the change hasn’t fazed her at all.
“She’s really stepped up during this transition and she is playing the position beautifully. She’s just awesome to watch,” Moretti said.
With the Sept. 12 start of the season rapidly approaching, Moretti has liked what she has seen so far from her team in preseason.
“We are further along in preseason than we’ve ever been since I’ve been here. They’re cutting and moving without the ball. Their defensive positioning has been great. We’re in a good place with having only a couple weeks of practice as team,” Moretti said. “We’re excited to get the season underway.”
