By Paul Doherty Sports Editor Morgan Hill – The Sobrato girls
field hockey team is working hard preparing for the fall season,
hoping to improve from last year’s 6-8 record in the Blossom Valley
Athletic League.
By Paul Doherty Sports Editor
Morgan Hill – The Sobrato girls field hockey team is working hard preparing for the fall season, hoping to improve from last year’s 6-8 record in the Blossom Valley Athletic League.
Coach Niki Donaldson, 28, coached the frosh/soph girls field hockey team for the last three years, and is excited to be taking over at the varsity level.
“I’ve coached most of these girls for the last three years, so we all know each other pretty well,” Donaldson said. “I have five new girls out here this year, and we’ll probably have more next week at tryouts.”
Donaldson said she will keep a total of 34 players in the program for the fall with 17 on Varsity and 17 on JV.
Donaldson graduated from Live Oak High School in 1996, and after a few years of college at California State University, Chico, received her bachelor’s degree in liberal Studies from San Jose State.
Sobrato plays Live Oak in their second game on the season at 3pm on Sept. 6 at the Sobrato field, 401 Burnett Ave.
In Sobrato’s first year in exsitence Live Oak trounced Sobrato 22-0 in the team’s first-ever meeting.
“We have never beat Live Oak but last season we only lost by one goal,” Doanldson said. “So were getting better and think it will be a good game this year.”
There are a few players that will be receiving scholarships for their field hockey abilities, and there are a few girls missing tryouts next week because they’ll be visiting colleges, Donaldson said, but she would not reveal their names.
Casey Post, 16, is a senior goalie for Sobrato who is hoping to finish with a winning record this season.
“I hope we come up on top and win more games than we lose,” Post said.
Talking about the chemistry she and the other players have with Donaldson, Post became particulary happy.
“I’m so glad that she’s my coach this year, because she’s so funny, but she’s also really serious,” she said of Doanldson. “I think we’ll win a lot this year becaause she’s really competitive too.”
Post has been a goalie since she started playing field hockey her freshman year at Sobrato.
Megan Rodder, 17, a senior forward from Morgan Hill, is looking forward to going to the Central Coast Section.
“It will be a tough season but I think we can do it,” Rodder said.
Rodder led the team last season with more than 10 goals, scoring four one game.
Rodder wasn’t able to participate in the camp due to a foot injury, but said she will be ready to go full strength next week when try outs start.
While games don’t start for antother few weeks, Donaldson is already busy whipping the girls into game shape.
Senior Brianna Fisher, 17, had to run two laps after missing a ball duing camp yesterday.
“We are working out here,” Fisher said. “She is a great, ecstatic, all-around coach.”
