Play day is all day, but it's serious business

Six days of field hockey practice, some heartbreaking cuts, a pair of play days and Cape is back on the field Monday working hard, trying to figure out who is who and what combinations on the field give the team the best chemistry and best chance to win.

“We looked a little rough in the first 10 minutes of play on Friday [Aug. 19], but the team rallied back to get the job done,” said coach Nicole Catanzaro Hughes.  "Play days are great because you can see just what elements need to be refined, practiced, and perfected. We are still trying to find the right team chemistry on the field. I need a team of communicators, not just two or three players. We also need to work on team defense [in which] everyone plays defense, not just the backs."

Cape played six 25-minute scrimmages involving varsity and junior varsity players so no athlete played the game on the far side of exhaustion, which would risk injury.

“We will work on recovery, positioning, self-start situations, and corners,” Coach Cat said. “Everyone plays during play days, which is great because all the coaches get to see all the players.”

The junior varsity squad, under the direction of Elizabeth and Kristina Lingo, traveled to the Seaford play day Aug. 20 for a full round of competition. “We send our junior varsity because we have too many varsity scrimmages,” Coach Cat said. “The girls always hold their own.”

Coach reflected on the first three days of practice and how hard it is to trim the roster. “The tryout portion of preseason is the worst time for me.  I mean, I have a heart, and I know that these athletes give me everything they have. I hate to have to cut individuals; it really isn't anything personal, and most forget that I am trying to field the best team we can put out there."

This Saturday, Aug. 27, Cape will rock another play day at Polytech where 20 Delaware teams will participate.