New Coach, New Attitude, New Winning Record

For most members of the field hockey team, the 2010 season is best forgotten. The Seahawks won only one game. There were holes in their skills, their coaching and in their confidence.

With first-year coach Jessica Dowd now running the team, all that may be a distant memory soon.

The Seahawks started out the season 4-1 and are now 4-3, coming off a

This is the first head coaching job for Dowd, 24, a three-year starter at Divison I La Salle University in Philadelphia. She is also a special education teacher at Oak Hill Elementary School, so she is bringing classroom-style organization and discipline to the field.

"The team lacked the knowledge of how to play field hockey," Dowd says of her impressions upon taking over the team. "They had the basics, but they did not have a game plan. They played in whatever formation. I brought in a system."

The team now has set plays, formations and defensive strategy. That's working well for the team, which has seven seniors.

It is also working extremely well for junior forward Lisi Mueller. Mueller had 17 goals in the first five games and is the top-scoring player in the metro region.

Mueller, a third-year varsity player, has been working in the Olympic Development Futures program since eighth grade. She says she is excited to have a good coach in place, as well supportive key players. But being the scoring leader makes her a little nervous.

"The girls on the other teams know that, and they are on me really tight," she said. "There is a lot of pressure."

Dowd says she is working with Mueller to work through that pressure.

"I told her 'we don't expect you to score every game,' " says Dowd. "But you should expect yourself to score."

Other players who have had a big role for the team so far are seniors Katie Horlacher and Abby Reed. Mueller's sister, Kaylee, is a team captain. Mueller credits Hannah Becker and Bethany Kehne for their  work on defense.

Dowd is hoping to cement a power program in place at South Lakes.  She likes what she sees in the younger players on both varsity and junior varsity, and is encouraging players like Reed, Mueller and Horlacher to consider playing at the college level.

"We can build a program where these girls can get to college playing field hockey," said Dowd. "A lot of times in the past, this team played not to lose. Now they have  to play to win. The new Seahawks are something to be reckoned with."

South Lakes plays Thursday at Thomas Jefferson.