Robbinsville field hockey set to take on a tougher schedule

BY: Sean Moylan Sports Writer
    This season the Robbinsville High girls’ varsity field hockey team has beefed up its regular season schedule considerably.
    Nevertheless, the talented Ravens are not worried.
    “We are looking forward to the challenge,” said Naoma Cordi, who is entering her second season as Robbinsville’s head varsity field hockey coach. The Ravens like playing the good teams.
    Last year Cordi, who has five years of coaching experience, guided the Ravens to a 14-6-0 mark and while it’s early this year’s group looks every bit as good.
    “The girls (the Ravens) are a great team. They are a very tight knit group who are there for each other on and off the field. Each girl in the program has such a strong work ethic and passion for success,” noted Cordi. “The entire team has been working really hard in the offseason and stepping up their skills to the next level.”
    And, of course, Robbinsville has five bona fide returning stars in Emilie Taylor, Christy Wham, Kate Connolly, Kellye Statz and Jackie Sikora.
    Taylor, a senior attacker, is probably the most dangerous offensive threat in the entire league. Last year Taylor used her sensational rocket shot to score 32 goals to lead the entire CVC in scoring.
    Wham and Connolly will solidify the middle of the field for Robbinsville with their senior leadership.
    “Christy Wham is an amazing player with an intense presence on the field,” added Cordi. “Kate Connolly is the definition of hard work and continues to help push the girls on the team for their best effort at all times.”
    Last year Kellye Statz won the starting goalie spot for Robbinsville because she was a great athlete. Well the scary thing for opposing teams is she’s worked hard to get even better this year.
    “She has taken her presence in the cage and mental game to such a higher level,” said Cordi, of Statz, a junior. Sikora, a senior midfielder-
forward, is one of the Ravens’ most versatile and reliable players.
    “Jackie Sikora had the ability to come through for the team during game play (last season). Her placement and off ball play really set her above the average player,” said Cordi.
    However, Robbinsville has a lot of great field hockey players to complement those returning stars including; Ashley DeAngelis ( junior midfielder/defender), Dani Demkowitz (senior defender), Hallie Fasanella (junior attacker), Nicole Gerdes (sophomore attacker), Allison Haftel (senior midfielder), Kaitlin Hill (senior attacker), Becky Homan (senior goalkeeper), Amanda Howard (senior defender), Lauren Hunter (freshman defender), Jess Kraemer (senior attacker). Megan Lunny (senior midfielder/
defender), Nicole Matyas (senior defender), Brittany Mayweather (junior defender), Taylor Mitchell (senior attacker), Kelsey Pethybrigde (senior defender), Ashleigh Stewart (junior attacker/midfielder) and Jess Wortelmann ( sophomore attacker/midfielder).
    Amazingly, even with all the scoring Taylor does and all the great plays Wham makes in the middle, Robbinsville always plays and wins as a team which says a lot about Cordi and her assistants Katie Manning ( in her second year with Cordi), Lindsay Nami and Anne Woodrick, a long time field hockey coach for Robbinsville’s fine middle school program.
    While Robbinsville graduated two tremendous defenders from last year’s playoff squad in Marissa Clark and Brittney DeAngelis, expectations are still very high for this year’s Ravens considering all the returning talent on the club.
    “(Our team goal is to) play our best at all times and represent our program to the fullest,” said Cordi, who has been and excellent and successful head coach wherever she’s been.
    Robbinsville will host Hightstown in its opener on September 12th.