Get Herald RSSThis season, Andrea Posa '08 of the field hockey team is making the most of her opportunities. The forward's team-leading six goals have helped the Bears to a 5-2 overall record and a 2-0 record in Ivy League play. A neuroscience concentrator, Posa was named Ivy League Player of the Week following her three-goal outburst during wins over the University of Rhode Island and Harvard. She scored the game-winner against the Crimson, and she leads the Ivies with 12 points.
Herald: What's it like playing on the roof of the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center? Posa: It's good and bad. It's really nice being up high with our own space with no distractions. It also has a nice view but the turf is actually smaller than a regulation size field.
How does that affect your play? Personally, I like bigger fields as a forward because there is more space to run.
The team had won three in a row before Wednesday's 2-1 overtime loss to Northeastern University and is currently in first place in the Ivy League. Any special reasons for the fast start? I think we went into the season expecting to win every game. We all have confidence in our team this year, and we're a much stronger team than in the past. Being a stronger team justifies our confidence. We are more experienced and our entire team is solid. Talent is evenly distributed from our offense to our defense to our goalie.
How tough was Wednesday night's loss that broke your three-game winning streak? I think we played (Northeastern) really well, maybe the best we've played them in the past two years. We came out and scored the first goal, and we realized we were just as good as them. Maybe we were a bit surprised. In the past, Northeastern has had a nationally ranked program. After we scored that goal, we realized we could win.
How did your team feel going into overtime? It's very physically taxing, playing seven on seven (in overtime). You always want to score as early as possible. We put up a hard fight but couldn't come out with a victory. It was really disappointing to lose. We looked at it as a way to get our name out there.
How did you get involved in field hockey? I started playing in seventh grade because the coach of my softball team was the coach of the varsity field hockey team and she convinced me to switch from soccer to field hockey.
You only scored two goals all of last season, but this season you scored two goals in the URI game alone and six goals overall. What has changed about your approach to the game? I think I have more experience and more confidence as an upperclassman. I think I did a lot of work during the off-season.
What areas of the game did you work on? I got better at receiving the ball, and I'm not as nervous. I also got a lot stronger during our off-season workouts.
How has your role on the team changed since last year? Naturally as you get older, I think you become more of a leader on the team as opposed to only looking up. Now I'm on the field a lot more and can have a more direct impact on the team.
What is the most successful aspect of your team? Our team has a lot of depth. We don't have weak spots on the field because everyone on the field is so skilled. We're also very fast.
What does your team need to improve? I think we just need to go into every game knowing that we are the better team. It's a confidence thing. The Princeton game is going to be huge this year. They have dominated Ivy League field hockey for the past decade, and we always go into that game as underdogs. Now, we are both undefeated (in the conference). Our attitude needs be that we expect to win. We are no longer the underdogs and it's a great feeling.
How did you spend your summer? I stayed at Brown and took CH 33: "Equilibrium, Rate and Structure." I also did research in neuroimaging at Butler Hospital on Blackstone Boulevard. I took scans and reformatted images of the patients so that the scientists could compare all of the brain images.
Since you live relatively close to Brown (in Weston, Mass.), do your parents come to your games? My parents come to every game. I love it when they come. My little sister (Maria) plays field hockey. She plays all the same sports I did in high school and she's marking her mark in our high school. I take her in the backyard and teach her the fundamentals. Now she thinks she's better than me, but it's cool. She started a lot younger than I did so she's got one up on me.
Do you have any pregame rituals? I listen to Al Pacino's speech from (the movie) "Any Given Sunday" before every game. But I didn't listen to it before the Northeastern game. I also drink a lot of water.
What do you think of the recent changes to Facebook? I really don't like them. I don't like the Mini-Feed at all. Now that you can turn it off, its fine, but I was spending so much time deleting the stories on my profile.
What is your favorite place to eat around here? Haruki (East) in Wayland Square. They have the best sushi around.
Who are you rooting for in the baseball playoffs, now that the Red Sox are out? I'm not rooting for anyone. I refuse to watch it. Anyone who is playing the Yankees.
Where do you see Brown field hockey going in the next few years? The more we win, the more our name gets out there and the better our recruits will be. It's the snowball effect. I'd like to think it's an up-and-coming sport.
