Lady Eagles hope to improve last year’s winning record

By: Jeremy Wang-Iverson
   WEST AMWELL — The South Hunterdon field hockey team was a staggering 36 players at its first practice last Thursday as the team gears up for the season, which begins in just two weeks.
   The team worked out for three hours on the overcast day, and Coach Thyra Zengel was happy with what she saw as she looks to improve even further from last year, when the squad finished 16-4-2 as Hunterdon-Warren County state champs.
   "They seem to be in shape and seem to be ready," Ms. Zengel said. "We have a lot of kids coming back and a big group of freshmen. There are a number of spots to fill, and we’ll be looking at that the next few days."
   In her first post-practice speech to the players, Ms. Zengel seemed to strike the delicate balance between toughness and kindness, yelling at them for not running hard enough in one breath and inviting them to a party at her house in the next. Though most of the team is returning, she spoke about how she will be looking closely to find the best lineups so the team can be as competitive as possible for the new season.
   "You have to look closely at the personnel; the makeup of each kid; the combination that worked last year might not necessarily work this year. It’s like a puzzle," Ms. Zengel said.
   The coach has reason to be optimistic as she only lost three players to graduation, and seniors Abby Hendricks, Lauren Opdyke and co-captains Shelley Culbertson and Bridget Henn will be returning to lead the team. Ms. Henn, who led the team with 27 goals last year as a junior, spoke enthusiastically about the season.
   "I’m really excited," Henn said in a telephone interview. "Everyone seems pretty dedicated, hopefully, it’ll be a really great year. The reason we did so well last year is because we worked very hard. There’s a lot of competition out there, but if we keep working hard, I think we have more potential than last year."
   Ms. Henn also was very excited about the turnout, commenting her freshman year only 16 players showed up at the first practice, and 27 players did last year.
   But beyond an even better record and further success in the state tournament, Ms. Henn hopes to continue playing next year when she hopes to attend Brown or the University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Zengel, who’s beginning her eighth season as the coach, said usually about one senior a year goes on to play in college.
   Ms. Zengel, a South Hunterdon graduate herself, says she encourages her players to keep with the sport, but realizes not everyone is cut out for it.
   "It takes a certain type of person," Ms. Zengel said. "You have to be very self-motivated. It’s definitely not for everybody."