Colonna, Cougars improved
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
Tiffany Trockenbrod could see something special in Natalie Colonna before the younger player had ever picked up a field hockey stick.
”She is an athlete and she picked it up real fast,” the Montgomery High coach said of Colonna, who had not played the sport before starting with the Cougars as a freshman. “I knew about her because she had been coming to our lacrosse camps. I knew we would need field hockey players and I talked to her and said we need you to play.
”She came up after her first practice and asked if I was sure about her playing. She stuck with it and started all four years for us. It just came natural to her.”
In her four years with the Cougars Colonna helped the program get better and better. She anchored the defense as Montgomery improved each year.
”I just think about how far we came the last four years and that will be what I remember the most,” said Colonna, a senior who will play lacrosse at The College of the Holy Cross next year. “I’ll remember how the team changed through the years. My freshman year we were 5-15-1 and my junior year we were 15-5-1. We completely changed everything. I think we made it to states by accident the first time and now we’re expected to make it and try to go far. We’re not the underdog anymore.
”I think I am happy with happy how we left things.”
This year Colonna was part of a Montgomery defense that allowed just 22 goals in 23 games as the Cougars went 14-6-3 and reached the finals of the Somerset County Tournament and the North Jersey, Section 2 Group IV tournament.
Natalie Colonna is the Princeton Packet Field Hockey Player of the Year.
”She was our most consistent and most composed player,” Trockenbrod said. “We did a nice job defensively this year and a huge reason was because of her. She played the sport for four years. She had never played field hockey before her freshman year. She has been starting at right back for four years and she has kind of owned the position. If I said to her you need to be on this person, she did a good job every time.”
Colonna never expected to grow into the player she became for the Cougars. In fact, she was as shocked as anyone when she was starting in her first game as a freshman.
”I was not expecting to play or anything,” said Colonna, who had six goals and nine assists this season from her position on defense. “The first scrimmage, I didn’t even know you can’t kick the ball or box people out. She threw me in there and I had no idea what to do. She was telling me from the sidelines where to go. It went well. It was a sink or swim kind of deal.”
Trockenbrod was confident Colonna would catch on and she did. In addition to her strong play on defense, Colonna has been the first person on attacking corners and the stroker for the Cougars the past three years, scoring some goals and assisting on others.
”She has been doing it consistently for us,” Trockenbrod said. “Even last year when we would come against these teams with outstanding players I said you have to keep this kid on the sidelines. She does her job and sometimes other people’s jobs as well.
”Field hockey is a tough sport to pick up and she is true athlete. I’ve never had to worry about the position for four years. She had an excellent year and excellent career. I am proud of her.”
It was certainly nothing Colonna expected the first few times she took the field.
”(Trockenbrod) got a few girls my freshman year to play and it ended up turning out well,” Colonna said. “I am glad I played. The summer before my freshman year we went to her lacrosse camp and she saw us playing and said you guys should come out, we could use you. We came to a team practice beforehand just to get together and thought it was cool.”
In the beginning Colonna succeeded on her pure athletic ability. But as she gained experience she came to understand the game and grow as a player.
”I was definitely more confident with my stick skills and how the game works,” she said. “By the time I was a junior I was able to help the underclassmen. I knew I was getting it when I could tell them what to do to improve.
”Being on the team has been so much fun and we have improved as a program. Everyone works together now. We’ve bonded and it is almost like a family now. It is easier to play with girls on the team if you are all friends off the field.