By Christopher Tremblay, Staff Sport Writer

Over the past two seasons, Ashland coach Molly Foley has graduated 11 seniors each campaign; the equivalent of an entire field of worth of players. 

Having so many players depart the Clockers’ field hockey program has left this year’s team relatively depleted and making it very tough for the team to put forth a successful season in terms of wins and losses. Foley has a total of 27 players covering both the varsity (15) and junior varsity (12).

“Two thousand and 22 was a very strong team and although last year was not as strong, to lose 11 players is still a lot,” the Clocker Coach said. “Volleyball may be playing a factor in why girls ae not coming out for field hockey, but the program has had its ebbs and flows over the years.”

Despite the Ashland program not having more bodies than they really need, Foley does have help in the pipeline. According to the coach, there are 27 girls playing the sport at the middle school and could be trying out for the team next fall. Ashland is also in its second year of its youth field hockey program for K thru 6th graders and this should a key to the future.

This fall Ashland has a mere five seniors on this year’s squad with only one of them a returning varsity player and she will be looked upon heavily to help set the tone and help the younger girls build their skills. Ashland will also have four other returnees (1 junior and 3 sophomores).

Co-Captain and Clocker defender Allie Hickey is the lone senior starter returning to the varsity team. She is a really good leader that is somewhat quiet but will lead the team by example on the field. She has great awareness and Foley will be relying on n her as a pivotal asset to the defense playing either center or left back.

The other captain will be junior forward Ashley Forster. The key to the junior’s success this fall will be her speed. As a natural athlete she possesses a great game sense with a strong ability to help set up her teammates.

Three other athletes that the Clocker Coach will be looking to will be the three returning sophomores, who all played as freshman. Payten Tripp, who also plays ice hockey, brings some incredible stick skills to the field and according to the Coach is a great transition player, with a high field hockey IQ.

“You tell Payton something one time and she gets it. She and Ashley work very well together,” Foley noted. “She brings an awesome flick shot to the game from her hockey background, which will help her to score. Last year she played 60 minutes almost every game and although on the field for that length of time she never looks tired.”

Foley continued to say that Tripp is a very dangerous player, who is interested in playing field hockey in college, and should be one of the Clocker’s top scorers this fall.

Midfielder Hailey Katz and goalie Ruby Khazadian are the final two returning starters from the 2023 team. Katz is a very vocal individual on the field and having such a young and new team communication is going to be critical to help getting the newer players in the right positions at the right time.

Khazadian split time with the senior goalkeeper and saw some varsity experience to help get her ready for this season.

“Ruby has improved vastly by going to many camps during the off-season,” the Clocker Coach said. “Her overall confidence has improved, which is good because she is in a very intimidating position with a young team in front of her.

In addition to Khazadian seeing action in net, Foley also has a senior who will see some action throughout the year and having her there should motivate the sophomore to go out and earn her minutes. Foley noted that Khazadian now has the confidence needed to play the position and has been looking good in practice.

The remainder of the team consists of seniors Carly Larson, Maddie Reynolds, Ellen Child and Abbey Lombardo; juniors Hanna Roberts and Brooke Nathanson; sophomores Alissa Brown, Erin Hickey and Raina Quitt and freshman Neko Ustaris.

Having such a young team Foley, as well as the team, know that it is not going to be an easy season but the biggest goal that they have put on their docket is to improve.

“We are a very young team and have only gone through five practices and two-thirds of the team have never played varsity field hockey,” the Ashland Coach said. “Having only five returning players who have played together before we need to go out and build team chemistry and continue to improve on the things that we do well.”

One of the biggest issues that faces Foley and her coaching staff will be producing a way to figure out the substitutions throughout the game.

“Being a smaller team with minimal subs it is going to be exhausting for both the girls as well as the coaches,” she said. “That’s our biggest struggles we’ll face as a coaching staff – how we can come up with a strategical subbing plan to keep the girls fresh while trying to figure out who to sub and when.”

Foley noted that the team is an awesome hard-working group that knows its going to be an up and down season, but she has been really impressed with a strong junior class with the likes of Melissa Brown and Erin Hickey.

“I want to keep it fun while doing the things that we do well,” Foley said. “It will be an effort to beat some of the teams on our schedule, but the girls are committed and want to win.”

In order to do that the Clockers will need to continue to do what they do right while continuing to improve on a daily basis.