After winning three straight Liberty District titles, Woodson field hockey is now trying its hand at continuing that streak in the Patriot District. And if the regular season is any indication, it appears as if the Cavs are slowing down – regardless of what team they play.
Despite graduating 13 seniors and five starters from 2008, third-year head coach Becky Preston saw her Cavaliers go 15-1 overall – and won their entire league game slate by a total of 20 goals. Their non-district wins included at 3-2 triumph on the road over St. Stephen's/St. Agnes on Oct. 8.
Leading the charge has been junior forward Eliana Brown, the team’s leading scorer last season, as well as Shelly Montgomery. The senior midfielder was the 2008 co-Northern Region Player of the Year and is set to attend American University next season.
But as far as this season is concerned, it’s a fourth straight district tourney crown on the minds of the Cavs. And that postseason march started in style on Thursday against West Springfield. Woodson won 2-0 over the Spartans, which sets up a meeting with Lake Braddock on Tuesday in the semi-finals.
Based on Preston’s observations, her club has improved as the season has gone along.
Coaches Aid: What is the state of your team now heading into the postseason?
Becky Preston: We’ve done really well. The girls keep working hard. They keep getting better every game. Even though we graduated a lot of players, everybody worked really hard in the off-season to make sure we were ready for this year. I’m really happy with the progress we’ve made.
CA: What has been the key to your team’s success this year?
BP: A lot came from the off-season preparation – everybody really stepped up. We’ve done a good job in being real balanced. Everybody is really motivated to keep improving their skill level. More importantly, the girls love being here – they love playing field hockey and being out on the field, whether it’s in practice or in a game. They’re having a lot of fun, which I think makes a big difference.
In her third year, Preston is trying to lead the Cavaliers to a fourth straight Patriot District title (Photo by Mike Kurec).
CA: There was a stretch in the middle of the season where you had fairly comfortable victories. Was there a time during the entire year in which your long winning streak was in danger of being snapped?
BP: West Potomac had us down 2-1 at halftime, so that was a challenge to win that one. I think we know that things can go either way really quickly. We’re definitely playing better in the second half. So that really helps to play well at the end of the game. I’d like for us to get off to better starts, but it’s certainly nice seeing the team able to close really well. We were aware that the past few weeks (at St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes, vs. West Springfield) were going to be tough because these were good teams.
CA: Have you found tougher competition in the Patriot District compared to the Liberty District, which you were in last year?
BP: It’s been pretty similar. The Patriot District has teams that we never were always good with at tournament time. We know that it’s going to be tough heading into the district tournament. The Liberty District does really well also with Madison having come a long way and McLean being strong. They’re comparable, but we knew it was going to be a tough switch. We knew we weren’t getting an easier ride by changing districts.
CA: How does it feel to have a team that continues to win championships and, therefore, is expected to win the district title each time?
BP: We have a really good tradition here. Andy Muir did a great job building the program. The girls know that, so they take it seriously. The expectations are there, but I think the girls handle it well.
CA: In terms of individual performances, has there been one that’s been a pleasant surprise?
CA: Shelly always does really well. Eliana was our leading scorer last year, but she’s stepped it up this year. She and Casey Dexter up front have done a phenomenal job. It’s really been a group effort. (Senior) Regan McLaughlin stepped up a lot and (senior) Marie Whitehead moved to midfield and did a good job with that transition.
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