After making the semi-finals in CCS last year, field hockey is ready to hit off a successful season this year under Coach Amber Wilson. The team traveled to several tournaments in the spring and continued practice throughout the summer.
Unfortunately, only weeks into the school year, several players have already been sidelined with injuries. Seniors Ashley Charette and Laura Ruddy and juniors Jessica Liscom and Diana Douglass are among those injured, and others have been out for periods of time with injuries and sickness.
Charette fractured her hand during practice the second week of school. She sat out for two weeks and then decided to come back even though her doctor recommended four weeks of rest.
“It’s been hard to come back because it’s still hard for me grip and hit with a stick,” said Charette.
Ruddy was out for a week and a half with a pulled muscle on her shoulder blade and Liscom was out for a week after pulling her rectus femoris, the muscle from her knee to her hip. It still hurts when she does a lot of sprinting.
“Not being able to practice made me not as prepared for the season,” said Liscom.
Douglass has two stress fractures in her ankle, one an old injury from track last year, and one fractured at field hockey tryouts. Although she is currently wearing a brace, she hopes to be able to get back in a month.
“Hopefully, I’ll be able to get back before the season ends,” Douglass said, “but it’ll be hard because I will be out of shape.”
Despite multiple injuries, the team has been playing fairly well. They won their first two pre-season games against Prospect (5-0) and North Salinas High School (4-1). The team lost to Gilroy in a pre-season game and also in the semi-finals of the Leigh Tournament.
“Obviously it’s bad that the injured players are out,” said Wilson, “but at the same time, with injured players sitting on the bench, younger players get to play more and it’s only pre-season so it’s not a big deal yet.”
Field hockey competes in the A division in the California Interscholastic Federation of the Central Coast Section. Last year, the team made it to the semifinals at CCS, losing 0-3 to Los Gatos. This year they look forward to developing the team to defeat power schools including Los Gatos, Mitty, and St. Francis, who were league champs last year. Saratoga was last CCS co-champs in 2004 along with Mitty.
The official field hockey league season will begin Sept. 24. at home against Leland. The Falcons play again Sept. 26 after school at Mitty. Field hockey also plays under the lights Oct. 1 at 6:15 p.m. against Los Altos High School on the turf.
“I don’t think we’re ready for the season yet,” said Wilson. “But playing more competitive pre-season games will help us know if where we’re at and what we need to work on for the season.”