Oswego State Lakers field hockey has just welcomed its newest, and first full-time head coach, Heather Moore, to join the ranks last spring.
Moore is originally from the outskirts of Binghamton and has an extensive record with field hockey. She is a star on and off the field with her previous participation in the sport as a player and now as a coach.
Moore was a four-year starter and two-year co-captain during her career at Colgate University. She has the defensive skills that brought her NCAA DI Mideast Second Team, All-Patriot League First-Team and Patriot League All-Tournament Team awards.
As a coach, she has held multiple positions including head coach of the US Field Hockey Association in 2005 at Binghamton, assistant coach at Colgate University from 2008-2010, and head coach in 2013-2017 at Earlham, where she would lead five student athletes to 10 All-North Coach Athletic Conference accolades.
Her extensive history, knowledge, and full-time status will help the womens’ team reach new heights this upcoming season. “Our coach before never even played field hockey,” junior Lacey Woite said. ”She dedicates all of her time to us and she only has us to worry about as opposed to having another sport, which was her top priority.”
Having a full-time coach, especially one with Moore’s extensive history and knowledge, should prove vital as the season continues. The field hockey team finished with a 7-8 record in their 2016 season, with the help of a six-game win streak to start the season.
Hopefully with a more active coaching staff, great things are to come this season. “I know my team and what motivates them,” assistant coach Corinne Kimmelman said. “[Moore’s] intelligence of field hockey and my way of knowing how they play is a good mixture.” Kimmelman played for the Lakers the past four years and has now taken position as assistant coach.
She believes that with her knowledge of members of the team and how they play, and Moore’s knowledge of the sport and her full-time status will bring great things as the ladies continue their season.
“They’re very eager to learn, and they have the potential to be great,” Moore said, “I want the competitive mentality to be there win or lose, but I want them to want to win and to go after it as hard as they can” Having suffered a 4-1 loss during the first game of their season against the Houghton Highlanders, Moore says the team is working on their passing and receiving and working collectively.
She hopes that fixing these small, technical details will help the team play more effectively as a whole and will lead the team to win. The season is still early with 13 games to go, and hopefully with first game jitters out of the way, the girls will be able to accomplish great things.
“They’re amazing in practice, but I think just putting that effort into the games will make a huge difference,” Kimmelman said. The coaching staff has stressed working on passing and other slight technical details in hopes that the team will play effectively and have a fun, successful season ahead of them.
The Lakers will continue their season in consecutive home games at Laker Turf Stadium against the St. Lawrence University Saints on Friday, Sept. 8 at 7:00 p.m. and the Elmira Soaring Eagles on Wednesday, Sept.13 at 4:00 p.m.
Photo: Taylor Woods | The Oswegonian
