Looking Forward to Senior Day

By Rebecca Lee
Senior, Forward

Three and a half years ago I never thought I would be sitting here a few days shy of my final home game reflecting back on my experience as a Golden Flash. I often still wake up in the morning in disbelief at where I am. Field hockey has taken me across the world and given me the opportunity to compete as a student-athlete and represent Kent State University as a Division I athlete.

The time really does fly although it often didn’t feel like it when I was grinding away day after day not knowing how I was going to get through some of our workouts. As hard as some days were, my experiences as a student-athlete has helped me become very resilient in life and made me a much stronger person.

I am honestly in disbelief that this experience is almost at an end. In saying this, my journey still isn’t over and if anything I believe the past three and a half years has been prepared me for this weekend when we take on the Miami RedHawks.

The Miami RedHawks are a team that we have not defeated since my freshman year in the Grand Final. Every year since we have put up a good fight; however we have continued to fall short. I believe that I can speak on behalf of the team as well as my for my fellow seniors that we are going to go out into our final home game of the season, and some of us forever, with a nothing to lose and a everything to gain mentality. It will be an honor playing my final home game on Murphy-Mellis Field and I hope to leave the field with no regrets. 

Coach Schnepf Previews Her Former Teams

Heather Schnepf

Assistant Coach

What are the odds?

I had the privilege to represent the University of Iowa for five years, 2003-2008.  Four of those years were spent putting on the Hawkeye uniform, while my fifth year I was on the sideline as a student assistant coach.  It is a place that I hold near and dear to my heart.  The years I spent putting on that black and gold uniform are why I am a coach today.

After graduating from the University of Iowa, I accepted the position as graduate assistant coach at Drexel University.  It is where I got my start in collegiate coaching and earned my masters degree.

What are the odds that both programs come to Kent State on the same weekend?  Pretty good I guess.  We play the Drexel Dragons Thursday at 1pm.  Three days later, Sunday at 12pm, we play the Iowa Hawkeyes.

For our program, this weekend is a great test. We are 4-2 and want to keep the momentum we gained this past weekend going. On top of that, we welcome two programs that are nationally known with great reputations.

In 2012, Drexel earned their first ever-automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.  This season they are picked to finish first in their conference, the Colonial Athletic Association.  The Dragons are a quality team that is looking to keep their recent success going. 

The Iowa Hawkeyes are currently ranked in the top 10 in the country.  They are a premier team in the Big Ten Conference.  They are coming off a year in which they were selected to the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row.  The Hawkeyes have made the NCAA tournament 6 times out of the last 9 years. The tradition the Hawkeyes have is tremendous.

For me, I am thrilled to welcome Drexel and Iowa to Ohio. We have not faced Drexel while I have been here so it is a new test.  It is always fun, and highly competitive, when coaching against the Hawkeye coaches, Tracey and Lisa.  Both Tracey and Lisa have had a positive impact on my life, on and off the pitch. 

More importantly, this weekend is about Kent State taking on two strong programs and making a name for themselves.  For us, it is an opportunity to ATTACK.  We are physically and mentally prepared for the opponents we are facing.  We will show up, enjoy the moment and SING THE FIGHT SONG! GO FLASHES! 

Hard Work and Excitement for Home

Melanie Kahn
Senior, M

I think we've definitely had some ups and some downs.  We're 2-2 now, so we beat the people that we're supposed to beat, but I think we could be 4-0.  Of course, that's setting our sites high but it's still early and we're still working on stuff that we need to work on.

Everyday I think we're pushing ourselves more and getting better.  I think every game we've made a progression forward instead of backwards.

I'm so excited to play at home this weekend.  As a freshman, I loved away games.  I loved the traveling and going to other fields and a change of scenery.

As I've gotten older, I love being home.  I just feel like it means more to me to play on my own turf that I've been playing on for four years now.

Preseason Is Underway

By Kathleeen Wiler
Head Coach

I'm excited to have everybody back on campus. We had a productive Tuesday with a lot of meetings and greetings, and then got going at 8:00 in the morning on Wednesday with our fitness test.

I'm really pleased with where we are aerobically.  We have had a really great couple of sessions out on the turf.  I'm looking forward to breaking down some film from an inter-squad game that we had and keep building.

We have a really strong core of athletes back, and I'm excited to keep working with them throughout this preseason period.