Sticks Set to Shine

Crimson field hockey coach Edie MacAusland enters her second season feeling good about her team.

"We're going to have a winning year, I can feel it in my bones," she says. "We've improved so much since this time last year."

The squad traveling to the University of Connecticut for its season opener this afternoon is basically the same one that compiled a 6-7 record in 1979, but there are differences. One is MacAusland.

"Last year was my first and everything was new," she says. "Now the team is used to playing for me and I'm used to them. It's much easier."

In an effort to come up with more scoring punch, MacAusland moved midfielder Maureen Finn to attack, and promoted Laura DiBonaventura from the junior varsity. But even without the new faces, goals shouldn't be a problem.

"All of our forwards have improved," MacAusland says. "I think we'll be scoring a lot more. Our stickhandling and our passing are much better."

Freshman goalkeeper Juliett Lamont and returnees Betty Ippolito and Katie Williams have benefitted from two training camp innovations--Marcia Karwas and a Jugs machine.

Karwas, a former national team member, is the squad's first goalie coach, and she has worked with the trio of netminders on a daily basis. The Jugs machine, similar to the model that hurls baseballs, provides goalies with a barrage of shots to block and clear.

The entire Crimson team will have to be combat ready to overcome the powerful Huskies, who beat Michigan, 6-0, earlier in the week. The UConn squad toured Europe in early September and should be at the peak of its game.

Nevertheless, MacAusland sounds optimistic. "We're fresh and hungry," she says. "Hopefully, UConn is stale already."