Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh hard at work in preseason camp
8/22/2009 9:45:00 AM | Field Hockey
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – With a week of practice in the books and the season opener a week away, Lehigh’s field hockey team has been hard at work in preparation for the upcoming season. The Mountain Hawks will have their first and only scrimmage of the preseason on Saturday, and with the season opener against Rider set for next Saturday, head coach Julie Mazer is pleased with the progress of her team.
“The team has been working hard,” said Mazer, who begins her seventh season. “You add in the heat that we’ve had to deal with in the preseason. I’ve been impressed with our work ethic, especially in dealing with the heat.”
Temperatures throughout most of the first week of practice ranged from the 80’s to the low 90’s with high humidity.
“I feel like we’re making progress towards gelling as a team,” added Mazer. “Team chemistry is good and we’ve been healthy. Our freshmen have been getting acclimated pretty quickly, and we’re really excited to open the season.”
Construction continues on Lehigh’s new field hockey facility, so the Mountain Hawks have done most of their work on the new Frank Banko field or inside Rauch Field House.
“The team has dealt with it pretty well,” explained Mazer. “We have some early games on field turf anyway. When our facility is done it will be great. In the meantime, we’re working hard with what’s available.”
The Mountain Hawks return 18 players from last year’s team, plus an eight player freshman class. Mazer has been pleased with her team’s fitness level and desire to work during the preseason.
“Overall our team fitness level has been good,” Mazer said. “Our team approach to practice has been more business-like.
Mazer continued, “We have a lot of depth in the midfield and the backfield, plus a majority of our freshmen are midfielders who can also play up or in the back.”
On Saturday, Lehigh will play its lone scrimmage of the preseason when the Mountain Hawks travel to Philadelphia to scrimmage Temple on the campus of Drexel University. It will mark Lehigh’s only opportunity to face off against an opponent before next Saturday’s season opener.
“We’re trying to set the bar for where we stand as we prepare for our first game,” said Mazer. “We’ll try some different formations and combinations and personnel at different positions. It will be interesting to see how we perform and then we can get an idea of where we are.
Mazer concluded, “We’ve been able to have some full field scrimmages since we have a large group, but it will be nice to go out and play against someone in a different uniform.”
The Mountain Hawks will open the regular season on Saturday, August 29 when they travel to Princeton, N.J. to face Rider. Game time is set for 3 p.m. from the Princeton Day School.
