Glen Ridge High senior captains Grace Twitchell, left, and Giuiliana Cipriano are looking forward to the season.
GLEN RIDGE, NJ – Coming off a successful 9-5-4 season last fall, the Glen Ridge High School varsity field hockey team has high hopes for this upcoming season.
First-year head coach Christina Fabiano, who graduated from The College of New Jersey this past May, has been quite pleased with the hard work and dedication shown by the team since the start of preseason August 13.
“We had a great first week in preseason,” said Fabiano as the team got ready to practice at George Washington Field on Monday, August 20. “All the girls showed up to work really hard. I think we’re on the right track to have a successful season so far.”
Glen Ridge, which advanced to the state section tournament quarterfinals last year, opens the season September 5 at home against Cranford.
Leading the way for the Ridgers will be senior captains Grace Twitchell and Giuliana Cipriano, along with juniors Gretchen Gilmore and Julia Hegarty.
Fabiano likes the team’s offensive attack. On the defensive end, the Ridgers were hit hard by graduation and hope to bolster that area.
“We lost a lot of defense,” said Fabiano, who will be helped by assistant coach Victoria Ramirez, another young coach. “We’re really working on playing correct defense and transitioning some of midfielders into defenders. That’s what we’ve been working on this past week, but our attack seems pretty solid.”
Both captains are also looking forward to the season.
“We have a different dynamic this year,” said Cipriano. “A lot of people have graduated, but I think we have a lot of solid people coming up in the program. We should be very good.”
Twitchell added, “I think we have a young team, but so far during preseason we’ve been working really well together and I think we are going to have a good season.”
The coaches and players have also really bonded, which will make the season even more enjoyable, said both captains.
“With the group we have and the upperclassmen we have, I think we can step up and be leaders on and off the field and accomplish the goals that we have set,” said Fabiano.
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