Williston Northampton’s Catie Laraway, left, races an opposing player to the ball during a field hockey game. (Photo courtesy of Williston Northampton)
Catie Laraway dribbles the ball up the field for Williston Northampton. (Submitted photo)
EASTHAMPTON – The Williston Northampton field hockey team went a long way in trying to win a title, and owed a lot of it to a budding young sophomore from the Whip City.
Sophomore Catie Laraway, of Westfield and the Williston Wildcats lost to Middlesex Concord in the New England Prep School Athletic Conference semifinals last week, ending a brilliant run that included equaling their best ever regular season finish at 12-3.
Laraway, the team’s lone freshman on varsity in 2010, finished this season as Williston’s second leading goal scorer with 18. She also had five assists.
That was a marked improvement from last season, when she had six goals and three assists.
“Catie is quick and fast and has a nose for the ball and the goal,” said Williston field hockey coach Ann Pickrell. “She is versatile… and tenacious.”
Over the last two seasons, Laraway has played the forward and midfield positions. This season she scored in 10 of 18 games, including five games of more than one goal and had a hat trick in three of those contests.
Pickrell said part of Laraway’s success can be attributed to her other sport, ice hockey.
Last season, Laraway played alongside Junior German National center-midfielder Katerina Huels, who Pickrell said, “in 34 years of coaching she was the best player I have ever seen.”
Huels led the team in assists and was the second-leading goal scorer in ’10.
Senior Bridgette Instrum (Granby) was this season’s most talked-about player. Instrum led the team with 28 goals, wrapping up her high school career with 60 goals and 22 assists. She will play women’s lacrosse at Division I school Ohio State.
While Instrum, Huels, and Laraway were upset in the quarterfinals in 2010, it was a bit of a surprise that Williston advanced as far as it did this season, according to Pickrell.
Williston stunned Miss Porter’s School, of Farmington (Conn.) 2-1 in overtime in the quarterfinals Nov. 16, and despite being shutout 4-0 by Middlesex, the Wildcats actually led in total shots on goal (23-16) and penalty corners (17-6) in that game. But the end result was a loss.
Now, with Instrum graduating next spring, Laraway will be expected to be the team leader, Pickrell said.
“I’m pleased about her progress,” the longtime coach said. “Catie has learned a lot playing with some very good players. I expect she will respond to the challenges.”
Another Westfield product, sophomore Rosie Lacas, who came from Westfield North Middle School, should also play a bigger role over the course of the next two seasons.
Lacas is the team’s backup goalie. She saw action in eight games, earned one start when the starting goalie was injured, and was part of four shutouts this season. The team’s starting goalie will be a senior next year.
