Allentown field hockey aiming high, again

BY GEORGE ALBANO
Staff Writer

MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Junior Kelly Aiker (r) is among several players returning to what should be another dominant Allentown High School field hockey team this fall. When you stop and consider some of the outstanding, and even great, girls field hockey teams Allentown High School has had over the last decade, to hear head coach Mary Ellen McCarthy say this year’s team can be one of their best is quite a statement.

In fact, it’s almost downright scary.

But McCarthy, who’s in her 11th season as head coach of the Lady Redbirds, insists the 2005 edition can be every bit as good as any of her previous 10 teams.

Certainly as good as her last three teams that all won the Colonial Valley Conference Patriot Division championship. Or as good as the last two years when Allentown also won the Mercer County Tournament.

And even as good as last year’s team that went 21-1-1, won the Central Jersey Group II championship, and whose only loss was a 2-0 setback in the Group II state semifinals against eventual champion Collinswood. Or the 2003 team that went to the Group II finals.

Heck, McCarthy even went as far as to say this year’s AHS team could be every bit as good as the 1997 team that won the New Jersey Group II state championship.

Yes, the 2005 Redbirds might be that good.

“I think this year’s team is as good as any of the top Allentown field hockey teams I have coached in the past,” McCarthy said matter-of-factly. “Definitely, when I think of the great teams I’ve had in 11 years, this team should be right up there with them.”

Of course, it’s not hard to understand why the Redbirds’ veteran coach feels the way she does. Allentown returned nine of 11 starters from last year’s Final Four team, including five senior standouts who are starting for the fourth straight season.

And so far the Redbirds have done nothing to dispute their coach’s high praise as they’ve won their first three games of the season by a combined 15-1 margin. Following a 4-1 season-opening victory over Lawrence High on the turf at Mercer County College, Allentown posted back-to-back shutouts on the road over Northern Burlington 6-0 and Steinert 5-0 this past Friday.

As a result, the Redbirds took a perfect 3-0 record into Tuesday’s home opener against Notre Dame.

Championship teams in any sport start with defense, and Allentown’s entire defense is back with Caitlin Ryan returning in goal, Carly Boyce at center back, Caitlyn Conk and Alyssa Gentz at the other back positions, and Shannon Gaum at sweeper. All five are seniors.

Katie San-souci is another senior who returns as a starting midfielder, along with junior Sam Podhurst. The third midfielder is Caitlyn Crane, who came off the bench last season as a back.

Three more seniors up front round out the starting lineup, including Jordan Freese, who scored 15 goals as a junior and led the team in assists. Corrie Payson, who came off the bench a year ago, is starting this year, while Melissa Grinkevich, who started and played as both a midfielder and back last year, has moved up to the forward line.

“She’s quick and has good ball-handling skills,” McCarthy said of Grinkevich. “We needed some experience up there with Jordan after our two big forwards from last year [Lindsay Leck and Janine Rini] graduated.”

The move has already paid off as Grinkevich scored three goals in the first three games, while Freese leads the Redbirds with four.

“The rest of our goals are spread out among the rest of the girls, which is a good thing,” McCarthy said. “That way, teams can’t focus on stopping just one or two players.”

What’s more, Freese and Grinkevich are both four-year varsity starters, as are Conk, Sansouci and Boyce.

“I’ve been working with them on the varsity level since they were all freshmen,” McCarthy said.

But while Allentown is top heavy with senior experience, the Redbirds have several underclassmen who will play key reserve roles this season.

“We want to rotate these girls in so they can learn the system and get some experience for next year,” McCarthy noted. “We lose a lot of seniors, so we need to get some girls in and get some experience, plus we need them to help us this year.”

That group includes junior forward Lindsey Smith, who’s already scored one goal; junior forward/midfielder Kelly Eiker; senior defender Roberta Cole; sophomore midfielders Brittany O’Brien and Michelle Najecki, both up from last year’s freshmen team; and forward Kasie Nurko, the only freshman on this year’s team and who already has two goals.

“Most of them have gotten in all three games, too,” McCarthy said. “So they’re getting some time working with the older girls.”

And before you get too concerned about the Redbirds’ future with the core of seniors that will be graduating, keep in mind this year’s JV and freshmen teams are also 3-0 so far. So the future continues to look bright.

But the future is now as far as this year’s veteran Allentown squad is concerned and the Redbirds are aiming high. In fact, as high as you can get.

“That’s the goal, to be Group II state champs and defend all the titles we won last year,” McCarthy said. “This year we want to be in the state finals and win it.”

And if they do, could the 2005 Allentown field hockey team be the Redbirds best ever? McCarthy said only her girls can answer that question.

“We’re just going to let the season play out and see in November.”