Field hockey student-athletes from DePauw, Tufts, Mary Washington and Montclair State have all made the trip to Geneva, N.Y., in hopes of bringing home the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship trophy. Competition begins tomorrow on William Smith College's McCooey Field, but today the student-athletes from all four schools conducted a field hockey clinic for groups of Special Olympians, members of the Ontario ARC and the Seneca/Cayuga ARC.
The clinic was held inside Bristol Field House at the Caird Center for Sports and Recreation. Each team spent about a half an hour with working with the Olympians and ARC members. Each field hockey team had planned small drills and games for the group to take part in.
Maddie Lee a junior defender from DePauw shared that the experience was one of learning and growth for both herself and her teammates, as well as, the Special Olympians and ARC members. “Being able to work with them was so much fun. It was a learning experience to modify and break down our drills and share our knowledge of the game,” said Lee. “My favorite part was seeing the look on their faces every time they scored a goal. It was great to be able to share in their excitement.”
Montclair State's Jenny Tafro, a junior midfielder, enjoyed seeing her team come together through the community service project. “The team was so excited to take part in this experience. It was great to see how quickly everyone was able to pick up the sport.” Teammate, junior defender, Sierra Rauchbach, shared the same feelings. “It was a great way to spend the afternoon. Field hockey is not the most well-known sport so it was awesome to be able to share it with the Olympians and ARC members, and have some one-on-one experience working with them. Seeing the joy they took in learning it was really wonderful.”
Tomorrow DePauw will take on No. 10 Tufts in the first semifinal match at 11 a.m. on McCooey Field. No. 3 Mary Washington will then square off with No. 2 Montclair State in the second semifinals at 1 p.m. The national championship will be played on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 1 p.m.
