Scholastic Notes

New England region

Maine

THREE COACHES TRYING ON SOME VERY LARGE SHOES

Dagny Leland, Flossie Smith, and Krista Chase are three different field hockey coaches, but of one mind, one mission, and one very important thing in common: taking over for a very successful predecessor.

Leland is taking over the program at Naples Lake Region (Maine) from former coach Linda Whitney, who not only posted 333 wins as field hockey coach, but more than 300 wins in other girls' sports at the school.

Smith inherits the legendary Standish Bonny Eagle program from Faith Littlefield, who died from lung cancer over the offseason. She had 339 recorded wins at the school, and could have had more if the state of Maine had kept records before Title IX.

Chase takes over from her mother, Carolyn Neighoff, who had 95 wins and a sectional championship at Augusta Cony.

"The biggest thing is she's so good dealing with situations, being fair and reasonable and objective," Chase told the Augusta Morning Sentinel. "(The players) had so much respect for her."

The transition should be smooth at Lake Region, where Leland and Whitney worked together for eight years.

"I loved working with Linda," Leland told the Portland Press-Herald. "She was very organized and knew what to do and when to do it. Those are the things I need to learn through experience. I�m looking forward to that."

Smith's transition was somewhat rockier, as the team had to deal with Littlefield's illness throughout Bonny Eagle's playoff run.

``The kids came together for me then,`` she told The Press-Herald. ``I`ve been Faith`s assistant; I`ve formed a very important relationship with the kids. We`re all in this together.``

Connecticut

MOWING THE HAY

The problems that South Windsor (Conn.) is having with its city-owned hockey field have continued.

Despite an embarrassment during the 2001 state tournament when complaints almost resulted in the game being postponed or moved, the grass field was not sufficently mowed when South Windsor hosted Simsbury in mid-September.

"My kids do have good stickwork, but not when grass is five inches long," head coach Pam Petersen tells The Hartford Courant.

South Windsor head coach Meredith Kirkpatrick understands completely, having played on artificial turf at the University of Connecticut. But athletic director Jack Longo laid blame at the feet of the town of Windsor.

"They do all the grass. We do the lime. I gave them a copy of the schedule and said please mow the field on the following days. They mowed it for the first game, but they didn't mow it for the second game," he told The Courant. "We have mowers here, but it's a union contract. We can't do it. I beg and beg and beg and beg. I'm kind of behind the eight ball."

Massachusetts

KING ME!

As the clock wound under five minutes on an early autumn afternoon in Hanover, Mass., people thought it was an afternoon spoiled. Neither Hanover nor their opponents from Seekonk scored.

Suddenly, in the last few minutes, the Indians were on their heels defensively, as Seekonk got a pair of late corners.

They were repelled, and Hanover's Carolyn King managed to break into the circle, scoring with three seconds remaining in regulation.

''This was a great way to end the game,'' Hanover coach Judy Schneider told The Boston Globe.

Rhode Island

TIVERTON FINDING LIFE DIFFICULT IN 2002

For the Riverton (R.I.) Tigers, the 2002 season has thus far been a long walk in the desert.

The team had strung together five straight titles in Division II, which consists of all of the state's small public schools. For 2002, Tiverton moved to Division I to play the larger teams.

Three games into the 2002 season, the team was winless, had its 69-game unbeaten streak (sixth longest in American scholstic field hockey history) snapped, and saw its head coach, Ken Dias, suspended.

The streak was snapped Sept. 11, 2002, in the final seven minutes against North Kingstown (R.I.).

"I'm proud of them," Tiverton interim head coach Ellie Byrne told The Providence Journal. "Every single one of them. They all did a good job."

The young Tiger defense would rebound two days later in shutting out defending Division I champion Lincoln 2-0.

You get the feeling a new streak is beginning.

EYE TO EYE

Coaches around the five counties of Rhode Island are getting used to a new wrinkle: mandatory protective eyewear.

A couple of years after New York mandated goggles for lacrosse, Rhode Island field hockey teams are making adjustments.

Some coaches have reported to The Providence Journal minor problems with fogging up after exertion.

A rather more serious problem was experienced by defending Division I champion Lincoln (R.I.).

"They are breaking constantly. We've had six or seven broken pairs," said Lincoln head coach Erin McDonald.

The Journal did not report the nature of the breakages, nor the manufacturer of the goggles.

For last year's notes, click here.