Northwestern University Athletics
The 2000 Field Hockey Outlook
7/31/2000 12:00:00β―AM | Field Hockey
July 31, 2000
First game: Saturday, Aug. 26 vs. Ball State, 1 p.m.
The 2000 Northwestern field hockey team comes into the season led by the return of head coach Marisa Didio. The Wildcats are poised to again become a conference and national power as the 21st century dawns.
The pieces are in place to lay the foundation for the future -- the Wildcats return six starters and 12 letterwinners from a youthful squad that went 4-14 last year.
"I think we have a good core of women who work well together and are taking the necessary strides to become a better team," said Didio. "I constantly reiterate to our team that we need to do something every day to make ourselves one step better."
Co-captains Jessica Yates and Lindsay Wright will lead the Wildcats into the 2000 season. The team is bolstered by the return of Yates, a fifth-year goalkeeper who led the conference in saves (148) last year. As a result, she earned second-team All-Big Ten and second-team Regional All-America recognition. Kendra Mesa, a sophomore, will again provide backup support for Yates.
"Jess has without question proven herself during the last few years, and there is no reason she will not continue to do so," said Didio.
Wright started and played in every game at forward last year, scoring nine goals and tallying three assists for 21 points. She has the ability to impact the game, and her knowledge will only help the Wildcats.
Northwestern will feature a mixture of seasoned veterans and experienced youth on offense, as three of the top five goalscorers return from last year including two of the top three. Wright, who was second on the team in scoring in 1999, will team up with any number of players. Sophomore Stacy Spenser, who saw action in 18 games, could step up and become a scoring threat along with redshirt freshman Sara Hohenshelt.
Two other players looking to contribute to the Wildcat offense will be Michelle Cifelli and Alexis Bettis. Cifelli, a sophomore, scored her first collegiate goal in her first collegiate start as she played in five matches, starting two. Bettis will look to add more to the lineup after playing in just one game last season.
The name of the game this year, however, is defense -- Didio plans on building her team from the back line up.
"Every athlete in every line of play needs to know how to play defense, " she said. Didio has plenty of versatility in this area, especially with a trio of seniors. Wendy Roberts played in all 18 games last year, starting 16, while Jodie Condie saw action in 16 contests. They both recorded a goal and three assists in 1999. Another player who can get it done at both ends is Colleen Hotz, who scored three goals and recorded one assist for seven points in 1999. All three could see time either in the midfield or on defense.
One player that Didio is counting on in the backfield is someone who originally came to Evanston as an offensive performer. Kathryn Breed, a junior, will anchor the defense after playing seven games up front in 1999.
Sophomore Lindsey Millard and junior Nicole Smith will shore up the Wildcat defense. Millard started in four games last year, playing eight overall, but made huge strides during the spring and should be a factor in 2000. Smith, meanwhile, played in 17 contests (starting 13) and added nine points on four goals and an assist.
"To be competitive in the Big Ten, you have to play defense," said Didio. "We are going through that process, the right process. We, as a coaching staff, have challenged them, and they have done a good job of challenging themselves and maintaining their defensive confidence along the way."
The 2000 recruiting class consists of two transfers and five high school seniors. Due to the change in coaching staffs, NU got a late jump in the recruiting process. "I think we did a very good job," said Didio. "The players we have coming in, we believe, will represent the sport and Northwestern very well."
Suzi Sutton (York, Pa.), Katie Walshauser (Wildwood, Mo.), Katie Hall (Lake Bluff, Ill.), Katie Fischer (Lake Forest, Ill.) and Kirsten Mackey (River Forest, Ill.) are the high school recruits. They will be joined by transfers Diane Provencher (University of Maine) and Juli Fomenko (Pacific). Fomenko, in particular, has already proven herself at the college level -- as a freshman, she started all 17 games at Pacific where she led the team in shots on goal (26) while recording two goals and two assists for six points.
The Wildcats again face a tough schedule in 2000, starting August 26 at home against Ball State. Road trips to Missouri and Virginia are followed by home games against Villanova and Louisville, and then the Big Ten season begins with Michigan State at Lakeside Field. Although a single round-robin format dictates the schedule in the conference for the first time, Didio knows things won't be easy for her team.
"Our conference is very competitive, with most of the teams consistently ranked in the top 20," said Didio. "We are not yet ranked, but we are doing the things we need to do to get there. However, it is a process that will not happen overnight.
"I think this will be an exciting year, though, and I know each and every one of us -- coaches and players -- is looking forward to the challenge."
