University of Richmond Athletics
2006 Spider Field Hockey Preview
08/15/2006 | Field Hockey
Aug. 15, 2006
Head coach Ange Bradley saw eight of the most dominating student-athletes in Richmond Athletics history leave her squad after last season because of graduation. The thought of rebuilding, though, has never crossed her mind, rather she and the 2006 Spiders are determined to prove they are one of the nation's elite teams year-in and year-out.
What are the teams' goals for the 2006 season?
"Our goals for the 2006 season is to better that which has been done before us. We will look to rewrite our history as much as we can so that the 2006 Spider Hockey program will leave its mark on Richmond Hockey. To be specific we want to win the 2006 A-10 title and advance beyond the first round of the NCAA Tournament."
What are some of the strengths of this team?
"This team has a tremendous amount of speed, they are eager to learn new things, take risks and they have fun. I think another strength is we have 12 freshmen and that is exciting to watch so many people work to win a championship for the first time. We have some many newcomers the process will be fresh and exciting."
Who are the leaders for this season and what qualitites do they possess?
"With the loss of so many seniors the 2006 spring season was used to develop our leaders who were present but in the shadows of such a senior laden team. Spring training was challenging, difficult and demanding both mentally and physically. That said, through the process we had tremendous growth as people, athletes, hockey players and as a team. To answer the question, each of the seven returnees -- seniors to sophomores -- have special traits which will enable them to help lead a freshmen laden team both on and off the field. Our two seniors, and most experienced players, Heather Wrublesky and Jodi Murphy have displayed the most consistency in leadership throughout the spring and summer months. Jodi's strengths as a leader are many. She is fun, engaging, demanding, has tremendous perspective, but I believe her greatest quality is she knows herself very well. She believes in herself and therefore she is in a position to look outward to help others not at the expense of herself or the teams core values. Heather's leadership style is by example. She has an outstanding work ethic both on and off the field and communicates very well with me and the team. She has a tremendous amount of pride in Richmond Hockey and is determined to lead this team to the 2006 Atlantic 10 Championship."
Talk about the newcomers and what those players can bring to the team.
"The incoming class will bring strength in numbers. They are very excited about starting over. They are eager to learn and want to be a part of our history. Each player has amazing things to offer our family. Adrian Pickar has speed and intelligence. Becky White's skill and intensity are superb. Lindsey Conrad has great vision for scoring and passing. Sydney Leone is fun, competitive and tough. Kate Windett shows determination, vision and can distribute very well. Jess Weidner possesses a high work rate, is a great tackler and has great vision. Lena Voelmle is a tough, athletic and gutsy palyer. Jacki Raithel is a focused and intelligent goalkeeper and possesses aggressiveness. Megan Thompson is strong and a tremendous athlete with good scoring abilities. Dani Pycroft has experience and is superb in possession and distribution skills. Sarah Blythe-Wood is a scoring and penalty-corner specialist with great confidence. Anne Edwards has a passion for the game and shows great speed and fight. I am excited to have their enthusiasm and youth and this group of 12 has also made me evaluate my coaching. They have already made me a better coach."
Does the loss of the eight seniors concern you?
"When you experience loss in any venue -- sports, life, etc. -- especially in mass quantities, the initial reaction is sadness, fear, panic, concern and tragedy. I must admit after our last game in November of 2005 those were my thoughts. How will we move forward -- we are so young. As our spring season progressed and I watched our younger players evolve to assume more personal responsibility on the field, increased pride, leadership and ownership in this program my doubts and fears turned to excitement and thoughts of endless possibilities with this "new" team. I have a tremendous amount of confidence and respect for this group of returning players. I feel the closest to this group of players in all aspects of coaching than I have ever felt with any team that I coached while at Richmond. I trust, together with patience and continuous improvement we will guide the freshmen class to their first Atlantic 10 Championship. We will focus on our journey together rather than our destination, one step and day at a time. This will alleviate pressure on our class of 12 and allow them to evolve over the season instead of during the preseason."
How does the last four seasons' success make you feel?
"I am proud of our accomplishments, we have built a strong foundation through hard work, dedication, perserverance and a commitment to the process. For that I am really inspired by what we have done in four short years. Those close to me often tell me I need to take more time to reflect upon the success of Richmond hockey, however, as a competitive person my nature is to evaluate, assess and move forward quickly. I know we can always improve and therefore as a leader of this program I believe I must always keep a vision for future Richmond teams. So with that it mind, yes, what we have done here has been wonderful but there is still more to be done."
What will make this season more challenging than the past?
"The biggest challenge is we have so many people doing something new for the first time. The anxiety and uncertainty of a new situation can negatively effect a persons confidence. In an effort to gain insight to this feeling I have worked hard this summer to put myself in situations which take me out of my comfort zone. This summer has given me the opportunity to grow and do many things for the first time. As a result of this challenge I have the opportunity to practice greater patience and learn to `Hurry up and Slow Down.' I will need to gradually introduce concepts to this team and check in on the players' confidence and adjustment to a new environment. I must reiterate more than ever it is ok to take risks and in the effort to take risks you will have a team behind you to support your decision in the risk."
What are you looking for this team to do over the course of 2006?
"I am looking for us to take risks, take care of each other and have fun as we evolve and grow into a competitive unit, prepared to compete for and win the 2006 Atlantic 10 Championship on Crenshaw Field. I would then look for us to move into the NCAA Tournament with a tremendous amount of confidence in ourselves and our play."
