Monroe girls hope to get back over the .500 mark
Five seniors lead team against competitive schedule
By richard jerome
Staff Writer
Entering her second season at the helm of the Monroe Township High School field hockey team, Alexandria Shadell hopes to improve on last fall’s sub-.500 record, and thinks maturity may be an asset.
"We have five seniors this year," the coach said. "One of our team leaders is senior right wing Heather Walker, who has played with us for three years and is one of our captains. She’s an excellent all-around player. Another senior captain is Kim Mackiewicz, our goalie, who is outstanding."
As for the rest of the team, senior Katie Skurka is a highly skilled defensive player, while junior Danielle Payne is excellent as a link or defender.
Another junior, Ashley DiCaro, also plays link for Monroe.
Shadell also touted some other returning players from whom she expects big things.
"Senior Bethany Allinder, a sweeper-defender, is a fine player who has been with me since my first freshman group," Shadell noted. "Another senior, Preena Patel, is on offense."
Among the junior contingent, Amanda Hayes is a key defensive player, and at left wing are Lauren Scarpa and Suzanne Pole.
Rounding out the squad is another 11th-grader, Kim Jarosiewicz, a solid performer on defense.
A 1995 graduate of Monroe who went on to play field hockey for Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, Shadell is assisted by jayvee coach Keith Hudak and Eileen Kelley, the former Monroe varsity coach.
She speaks well of her team, and is hoping that some of its varsity experience translates into some wins once the season gets under way.
"This is a good bunch of girls," she said of her team. "If we maintain a positive attitude, I think we can get a few more wins."
The girls open with a Sept. 8 meeting with Manalapan at home, before taking on Nottingham (Sept. 11), Old Bridge (Sept. 12) and East Brunswick (Sept. 14).
The Falcons face a difficult schedule, with some of the top teams in the Greater Middlesex Conference appearing on their list of opponents.
But Shadell likes her team’s chances, and knows that the girls she has on board will play hard game in and game out.
There’s not much more a coach can ask of her players.