Exhibition games and traveling are part of the trip

Members of the field hockey team take in a surfing lesson during their tour of Australia.

To sharpen their skills and strengthen their team bond, the field hockey team played several exhibition games during a two-week tour of Australia this past May.

“The team did well considering we hadn’t played together since last October, and not all of the players made the trip,” said Debbie LaVigne, who is entering her sixth season as head coach and coordinated the trip. “The games were close and the team was focused on playing hard.”

LaVigne firmly believes in the bonding that takes place on an international trip, an experience that team members will carry with them after their careers are over. Sage Shanley, a senior co-captain from Westerly, R.I. and one of three Camels named to the 2005 NFHCA All-Region Team, echoes her coach’s sentiments.

“The team is closer than it has ever been,” she said. “We were together all the time, whether it was on or off the field. The friendships between the players on the team became stronger just because of the situation we were in.”

One of the highlights of the trip was playing in the Olympic Hockey Stadium in Sydney. The Camels took in a show at the opera, visited the zoo, the aquarium and the botanical gardens. The team attended a rugby match and had a surfing lesson on Manly Beach.

Jill Mauer ’08, another returning NFHCA All-Region standout from Milbrook, N.Y., was floored by her first international trip. “It has turned me on to the idea of traveling more. I loved talking to people I would meet and gaining a better understanding of how the rest of the world lives,” she said.

Getting acclimated to the international game took some adjusting and some players suffered injuries on and off the field. Shanley sliced her toe, missing the last couple of games. Talia Wheeler ’09 proved turf was safer than surf after her board blew into her face, scraping her forehead. Fortunately, she was OK. Gretchen Mayer ’09 thought the team showed its resiliency, taking the bumps and bruises in stride.

“Basically our whole starting forward line was on the sideline by the end of the trip,” Mayer said.

Despite the injuries, the Camels still managed to make the most of their time together Down Under and are now turning their attention and preparation toward the 2006 season. Linnea Camerota ’08 was impressed with the level of competition the team faced and is ready to use the experience as a springboard for the fall season.

“Playing against these Australian girls who have been playing since they could walk was great for us because it showed us all a different level of play,” Camerota said. “Hopefully we can bring that back to the NESCAC and kick some butt.”

The Camels will open the season on Saturday, Sept. 9 against Middlebury College in New London. The team is captained by First-Team All NESCAC and Two-Time NFHCA All Region selection Katie Williams ’07 and NFHCA All-Region forward Sage Shanley ’07.