Photo by: Rob Rasmussen / P8Photos.com
Season Preview: Quinnipiac Field Hockey
2/16/2021 2:00:00 PM | Field Hockey
Bobcats Use 15 Months of Preparation to Recreate Quinnipiac Field Hockey
Four-hundred and ninety days. That's how many days have elapsed since the last time the Quinnipiac field hockey team stepped on the field at its stadium for a game. With over 15 months since that day, Becca Main's squad could not be more excited to play their first game of the 2020-21 season on March 5.
"I'm not worried about the excitement or the hype for that March 5 day, you know, it's making sure that we can sustain that level of excitement that level of anticipation of the grind and the grit that we're going to put in for it and be able to do that for 12 games," Main said.
It's been a complete transformation for the Bobcats since Nov. 1, 2019, as Main and her coaching staff have altered their practice strategy in the spring and fall. Main said the three focuses of the team over the last 15 months have been fitness, basic skills and being good in specialty situations.
The Bobcats have run almost every day at practicing, and the improvement Main has seen in fitness is among her highlights heading into the season.
"I am really proud of our fitness, we've gone through the roof in the last year," Main said. "I say our fitness level is why we're hoping to use not only 23 players, but we want to run teams as much as we possibly can so it's going to be one of our goals."
Main has emphasized that the 2020-21 Bobcats' field hockey team is focused on using all 23 players on the roster, noting the importance of depth in a season like this one more than ever before.
Throughout 15 months of training and bonding, this group has made this possible due to the buy in from everyone on the roster.
"During the bonding experience that we've had as a team, we've just decided to play 23 players," Main said. "So instead of going this route of trying to find that group of 11 starters, and maybe a couple others, we're going to go at it with the attitude of we've got 23 players and we hope to have 23 players as many times as possible for our games.
"We have the opportunity to know that we have to be three deep in each position, so I think the spring is affording us this unique shift that we've never had before."
Main credits her captains most of all with the improvements of the team as the Bobcats pull within weeks of beginning the season. A leadership group that has been in tact since shortly after the 2019 season came to an end, this group has evolved as leaders over the last 15 months and have elevated and empowered each other, as well as their teammates.
"I've never had this amount of time with a group of captains, we have met once a week every week since March 15," Main said. "The four of them should be commended for their ability to guide a team through a really, really rough and tough time.
"I don't want to go through this with anybody else than the four of them: Mik, Brook, Jess and Alyssa. They all our champions of Quinnipiac, they're ambassadors for our program and there are no better people to put out front there for Quinnipiac University than those four."
The Bobcats will begin their unique 2020-21 slate of games on Friday, March 5 against Providence at 3 p.m. at the Quinnipiac Field Hockey Stadium.
"I'm not worried about the excitement or the hype for that March 5 day, you know, it's making sure that we can sustain that level of excitement that level of anticipation of the grind and the grit that we're going to put in for it and be able to do that for 12 games," Main said.
It's been a complete transformation for the Bobcats since Nov. 1, 2019, as Main and her coaching staff have altered their practice strategy in the spring and fall. Main said the three focuses of the team over the last 15 months have been fitness, basic skills and being good in specialty situations.
The Bobcats have run almost every day at practicing, and the improvement Main has seen in fitness is among her highlights heading into the season.
"I am really proud of our fitness, we've gone through the roof in the last year," Main said. "I say our fitness level is why we're hoping to use not only 23 players, but we want to run teams as much as we possibly can so it's going to be one of our goals."
Main has emphasized that the 2020-21 Bobcats' field hockey team is focused on using all 23 players on the roster, noting the importance of depth in a season like this one more than ever before.
Throughout 15 months of training and bonding, this group has made this possible due to the buy in from everyone on the roster.
"During the bonding experience that we've had as a team, we've just decided to play 23 players," Main said. "So instead of going this route of trying to find that group of 11 starters, and maybe a couple others, we're going to go at it with the attitude of we've got 23 players and we hope to have 23 players as many times as possible for our games.
"We have the opportunity to know that we have to be three deep in each position, so I think the spring is affording us this unique shift that we've never had before."
Main credits her captains most of all with the improvements of the team as the Bobcats pull within weeks of beginning the season. A leadership group that has been in tact since shortly after the 2019 season came to an end, this group has evolved as leaders over the last 15 months and have elevated and empowered each other, as well as their teammates.
"I've never had this amount of time with a group of captains, we have met once a week every week since March 15," Main said. "The four of them should be commended for their ability to guide a team through a really, really rough and tough time.
"I don't want to go through this with anybody else than the four of them: Mik, Brook, Jess and Alyssa. They all our champions of Quinnipiac, they're ambassadors for our program and there are no better people to put out front there for Quinnipiac University than those four."
The Bobcats will begin their unique 2020-21 slate of games on Friday, March 5 against Providence at 3 p.m. at the Quinnipiac Field Hockey Stadium.
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