Cordi getting team prepared for her first year with Ravens

By: Sean Moylan
   This past Monday morning the Robbinsville High girls’ varsity field hockey team ran drills which made good use of every square inch of the Robbinsville High football field.
   At the very least, Robbinsville’ new head field hockey coach Naomi Cordi has a tremendous organizational skills. Cordi is taking over for Judy Goldstein, who led the team to a solid 7-12-1 record last year. While Goldstein had a successful field hockey coaching career which spanned two decades, Cordi also has very impressive coaching credentials.
   "I coached three years at Ewing and my first year coaching there Ewing made the state tournament for the first time in 21 years," said Cordi, who was a standout goalie for Lawrence High and Rowan University. She’ll teach Health and Phys-ed at Robbinsville.
   "Playing at Rowan was fine. And I still play in a women’s field hockey league," said Cordi, who still enjoys the competition.
   Cordi is already finding out what a special, talented group of players she has on this team. Furthermore she gives credit to the strength and conditioning coach for keeping those players in tip-top playing shape.
   "We have 55 girls and they’re all hard workers," noted Cordi. "This summer we had 25 girls go to camps and 5 girls made the Garden State Games."
   Marissa Clark and Emilie Taylor made the U-19 squad while Ashley DeAngelis, Christy Wham and Kaitlin Hill made the U-16 team. Being a goalie herself, it only stands to reason that Cordi is a defensive-minded head coach. Yet she is still formulating the perfect system to fit the various talents of her current roster.
   "They’re all very hard workers who are interested in learning. The captains ran practices three days a week (over the summer) and they are getting in the weight room," said Cordi.
   One of the best things about Monday’s practice was there was no wasted time as it appeared to run like clockwork with everyone doing something constructive at all times, which is a credit to Cordi and her assistant coach Jen Cicale.
   Picking the wrong coach to replace Goldstein could have spelled disaster for Robbinsville. But Cordi knows what she is doing and appears to be the right head coach to lead the Ravens to a highly successful future.