Field hockey goes far in ‘08

The 2008 field hockey team was considered one of the best Saratoga has had, coached by Amber Olsen Wilson. They came in second at CCS, only losing in the final game by one goal to Los Gatos. Ever since, field hockey has gained popularity at Saratoga and the expectations have been high.

‘08 alumna Laura Ruddy played defense for the team during the historic season. She believes that season was the best year ever and a lot of it had to do with team chemistry.

“The team was very close,” Ruddy said. “That made it easier to mesh on the field. There was hardly any drama and the friendship made even the toughest practices a blast.”

Ruddy also attributes the season to the amount of talent on the team. She said Kelly Darchuk, also senior that year, was by far one of the best goal-scorers and all-around player in the league. Stephanie Douglass, another member of the class of ‘08, was unstoppable in goal and is now a stand-out player on the University of Pacific team. Anna Schroeder, class of ‘09, held together the defense and now plays at Vassar College. ‘10 alumna Vanessa Block stepped up to control the midfield and is currently playing at Wesleyan University.

Ruddy did not pursue field hockey after high school, but is playing lacrosse at the University of Oregon.

“Playing field hockey at Saratoga was definitely one of the best experiences of my high school years,” Ruddy said. “I made amazing friends and learned a lot about myself, too.”

Darchuk, played center forward that season. She also believes that was the best year they played because of their success.

“We beat St. Francis twice that year,” Darchuk said. “I think we were one of the only teams to beat them and they had been in first place for years before the ‘08 season.”

Claire Marsh, a junior that season, played forward and loved the team.

“It was our best season as a team because not only did we have our strongest players but our team was more bonded than any other team I have ever been on. This was the reason we did so well. The team morale was great,” Marsh said.

Marsh joined the University of Southern California club team her first year there. She said her club team was much different from Saratoga, since it didn’t start off as an intense team, but her club team has slowly grown into a more legitimate team.

“Field hockey at Saratoga was by far my favorite sport,” Marsh said. “I would go back and do it a million times over if I could.”