| Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, TRIB-LIVE
The Fox Chapel field hockey season came to a close Dec. 8 as the Foxes fell to Lower Dauphin, 3-1, in the first round of the PIAA tournament.
The Foxes finished with a 16-5 record that included a 12-0 mark in the section. The Foxes claimed their fifth consecutive section title and third WPIAL championship in eight seasons.
“It was a tough way to end,” FC coach Jen McCrady said. “But it is so important that we continue to gain that valuable PIAA experience. I felt that we were extremely competitive against Lower Dauphin. We were virtually equal in numbers of penalty corners. I think there was a technical difference, meaning they were players who spend a lot of time playing field hockey in the off-season. I am really proud of the fact that the notion of playing club and indoor field hockey is also becoming the norm here at Fox Chapel.”
As for 2017, the Foxes will lose two starting seniors in midfielder Meg McCrady and forward Megan Botos, both captains.
“Meg played a vital role for us in terms of creating plays and competitive effort,” Coach McCrady said. “She was a key piece of our corner unit. Megan was our third leading scorer and one of our main hitters on penalty corners.”
The Foxes will also be losing senior defenders Krista Spuhler and Megan Eisengart.
McCrady said the Foxes will field a powerful team next year, too. “To say we are coming back pretty loaded is an understatement,” she said. “We return our two leading scorers in Abby Pitcairn and Paige Ryan, along with forward Katie McIlroy, midfielder Mia Jamiolkowski, halfbacks Grace Knepshield and Sarah Fownes, along with our defensive unit of Isabella Lagazzi, Rebecca Klaas and goalie Marissa Hardiman.
“We jumbled some lineups this year, and we have some really versatile players. That was crucial to our success this year. We had a very young defense, and they really found their confidence and made a huge difference as we approached the postseason.”
McCrady cited the play of young players who stepped into key roles, including Sydney Condron, Abby Baldauf and Brianna Lucas.
“We also had some freshmen and sophomores see time, as well, and our depth notably increased as the year progressed,” she said.
“Next year will no doubt be another competitive one. We will have the same goals of winning the section, the WPIAL and advance in the PIAA tournament. Having been to the PIAAs for a second straight year has no doubt shown the team that they can play with these teams from the hotbed areas. Field hockey life beyond the WPIAL will be a point of focus for next year’s team.”