2007 Duke Field Hockey Season Outlook

8/16/2007 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. - Under the leadership of head coach Beth Bozman for the fifth year, the Duke Field Hockey team is geared up for the 2007 season. Duke, who became one of six schools to make four consecutive appearances in the NCAA Final Four in 2006, will look to combine passion and commitment with experience and feed off team chemistry to produce yet another successful, record-breaking year.

“One thing that we've all come to realize is that talent isn't enough,” said Bozman. “We believe that a love for each other and commitment to our goals are key elements to great success. Our motto this year is “team dREam” because we have the confidence to dream of great things together and because we never want to forget the impact that “Re” [former assistant coach Maria Whitehead] had on all of us.”

A New Venue
The Blue Devils will enjoy a revamped home venue in 2007, as major renovations were made to Williams Field at the conclusion of the 2006 season. In addition to a fresh turf field and bleacher upgrades, the Blue Devils can now enjoy the luxury of their very own turf-side home in “The Shed.”

A new building, constructed behind the scorer's table and team benches, has replaced the small shed that served as a meeting area for Duke's team during games and practices for years. Appropriately named “The Shed,” as to continue with Duke field hockey tradition, the new and improved building will provide home and visiting teams, coaches and umpires with on-site locker rooms. Duke's new home also features a player's lounge, equipped with a flat screen TV, leather couches and a computer.

The Players
Duke returns 12 letterwinners and eight starters from its 2006 roster, and despite the departure of one of the most successful senior classes in Duke field hockey history in Liz Floyd, Hilary Linton, Cara-Lynn Lopresti and Amy Stopford, the 2007 Blue Devil roster is filled with talent, experience and depth.

“I'll reiterate the genuine feeling of our team - it's not the individual talent that matters, it's the team,” said Bozman. “And this is an incredibly committed and devoted team. Chemistry reigns supreme here.”

The Midfield
Junior co-captain Laura Suchoski, a first team All-America selection in 2006, and classmate Marian Dickinson, a third team All-America pick in 2006, will anchor the midfield in 2007.

On the offensive end, Suchoski netted three goals and dished out eight assists for 14 points as a sophomore, while Dickinson led the Blue Devils in goals (19) and points (48) and tied for the team lead in assists (10) with fellow midfielder Brooke Patterson. Suchoski was invaluable on the defensive end, especially inside the circle, as was Patterson, now a sophomore, as she notched one of Duke's four defensive saves on the year.

With the loss of two All-America midfielders in seniors Hilary Linton and Amy Stopford, who combined for 18 goals in 2006, the Blue Devils will look to senior Rachel Link, junior Ashley Pultorak and sophomore Lauren Miller to step up and make plays alongside Suchoski and Dickinson. Pultorak finished her sophomore season with 13 points on six goals and one assist, while Miller netted three goals and three assists to finish with nine points in her first collegiate campaign. Link notched one assist and one defensive save as a junior.

Pultorak and Miller saw action in all 22 games in 2006, as Miller started every contest, while Link played in 19 games. Combine to that experience, three highly-touted freshman midfielders in Casey Beyel, Susan Ferger and Sarah Schoffstall, and the Blue Devil midfield will once again be a force to reckon with.

Forwards
At the forward position in 2006, seniors Liz Floyd and Cara-Lynn Lopresti combined to produce 28 points on nine goals and 10 assists, while being backed by Amie Survilla, who started 19 games and netted eight goals as a freshman. Survilla will be looked upon to provide an even bigger offensive spark in 2007, along with classmate Lauren Amicucci and freshman Camille Dagorn.

Amicucci saw action in 11 games in her first collegiate season, netting one goal for two points on the year, and is expected to have a deeper impact on the team as a sophomore.

Defense
The Blue Devils return all of their defenders from a year ago, as the 2007 defense is set to be led by senior Shayna McGeehan, a two-time All-South Region selection, and senior co-captains, defender Courtney Elliott and goalkeeper Caitlin Williams.

Elliott saw action in all but two games in 2006, and had an impact on both sides of the field, netting two goals and two assists for six points on the season. Williams, an All-South Region pick in 2006, returns as a veteran goalie for the Blue Devils, having secured 74 saves as a junior while starting every contest. She allowed just 1.36 goals per game and notched five shutouts on the year.

Backing up Williams in goal will be sophomore Janelle Barth, who saw action in two games in 2006, and freshman Samantha Nelson. Freshman Lauren Galinat will provide depth on the defensive end.

New Faces
Six freshmen will embark on their first collegiate campaigns in 2007, as three talented midfielders, one forward, one defender and one goalkeeper join the Blue Devil ranks.

In the midfield, Casey Beyel, who led Ocean City High School to its 11th consecutive Cape Atlantic League Championship in 2006, will look to fill some big shoes with the departure of Hilary Linton and Amy Stopford. A two-time NFHCA Mid-Atlantic Region All-America pick, Beyel will challenge for a starting midfield position from the get go, as will 2006 Central Ohio Field Hockey Player of the Year, Susan Ferger, and Sarah Schoffstall, who led Northwestern Lehigh to two District II titles.

Camille Dagorn will also look to make an immediate impact at the forward position with the loss of Liz Floyd and Cara-Lynn Lopresti. A two-time first team All-State selection and three-time first team All-Area pick, Dagorn helped Lehighton Area to three consecutive Mountain Valley Conference titles and the District II Championship in 2005-06. Also a standout track athlete at Lehighton, Dagorn will provide speed and agility for the Blue Devil forward unit.

On the defensive end, Lauren Galinat, a first team all-conference selection and second team all-state pick as a senior at Wilmington Friends School, will offer depth to a Blue Devil defense that returns a full squad from 2006.

In goal, the addition of 2005 regional All-America selection and Independent School-League team pick Samantha Nelson will provide the Blue Devils with a third goalkeeper. A 2006 All-League honoree, Nelson will look to back up veteran returning keeper Caitlin Williams.

The Coaching Staff
In 2007, Bozman will be joined on the sideline for the fifth consecutive year by assistant coach Kelly Baril. The duo will welcome first-year assistant coach Jarred Martin to the Blue Devil coaching ranks, as the trio combines to form one of the most knowledgeable, experienced and driven staffs in the country.

Martin, who previously served as an assistant coach at Skidmore College, has been a member of the U.S. National Team since 2000, and is a starting forward on the current national squad.

“This is a great staff!” said Bozman. “I believe that Kelly is one of the top goalkeeping coaches in the nation, and she knows and understands Duke hockey. Jarred brings a brand new element to our program and he's fresh off of international competition. He will challenge our players in a way we'll all welcome. And we'll all have a lot of fun along the way.”

The Schedule
Characteristic of Duke's program, the Blue Devils will once again face one of the toughest schedules in the nation in 2007, as 10 of 19 potential opponents on this season's schedule were nationally ranked in the final STX/NFHCA poll and eight teams were part of the 16-team 2006 NCAA Tournament field.

Eight home games, including two versus ACC opponents, and the season-opening Champions Tournament highlight the Blue Devils' schedule. After traveling to East Lansing, Mich., for the Champions Tournament, hosted by Michigan State University, Duke will play six consecutive games at home, including a Sept. 8 contest with 2006 ACC Champion Wake Forest, which marks the 100th game to be played at Williams Field.

The Blue Devils' regular season home finale will be played versus defending national champion Maryland on Oct. 6, as Duke will close out the regular season with five road games.

The 2007 ACC Field Hockey Championship is slated for Nov. 1-4 in Chestnut Hill, Mass., to be hosted by Boston College. NCAA Tournament First and Second Round competition is set for Nov. 10 and 11 at campus sites to be determined, with the Final Four set to be held at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., on Nov. 16 and 18.

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