Old Bridge girls learn on the fly
Knights featuring
several new faces
this season
BY DOUG McKENZIE
Staff Writer

JEFF GRANIT staff South Brunswick’s Abby Dredge tries to clear the ball in front of Old Bridge’s Jessika Vocht during Monday’s season-opener in South Brunswick.

The theme for this year’s Old Bridge High School field hockey team is youth.

The Knights graduated eight seniors from last year’s 8-7-3 team, and will look to a trio of seniors to lead the way while the younger players undergo some growing pains.

Head coach Rose Daganya, now in her ninth season at the helm, will look to Amanda Hobson, Krystina Miller and Dominque Dispoto to set the tone this season, as a flurry of inexperienced varsity players get their feet wet playing a competitive schedule

"Those three have done a good job so far," Daganya said.

"We have some other seniors with some experience that are looking to play their way into the starting line-up as well."

That group includes Margaret Shpak, Mary Ann Fox and Jessika Vocht.

The remainder of the team consists of underclassmen, led by sophomore Rebecca Dobiesz, who Daganya has high hopes for.

"She looks like she’s going to be a real nice player," she said.

Among the other younger players who will look to contribute this year are juniors Lara Rubinstein, Barbara Zjawin, Megan Marinos, Samantha May, Jessica Kelly, Shivanni Patel, Amanda Zimmerlink and Carolyn Metzer, and sophomores Katie Schiffer and Melissa Calamari.

The Knights got off to a decent start with a season-opening 4-0 win over South Brunswick on Monday, though Daganya said the victory over the second-year program illustrated where the Knights need the most improvement.

"We were a little slow getting started, and South Brunswick did a nice job of holding us scoreless in the first half," she said. "I was a little disappointed that it took us so long to score, but that’s something we’re struggling with and have struggled with in the past. It’s not a matter of us crossing the line and getting to the goal, we just couldn’t put it in the cage."

But Daganya added that there are quite a few areas where the Knights will need to improve if they are to be competitive this season.

"Right now we’re working on improving on our communication, which is one of the things you struggle with when you have a bunch of players who are not used to playing with each other," she said. "Because it is a fairly new team, they need to learn how to work together as a team. We also need to become more effective at every position, because we have a lot of players at new positions this year.

"It’s going to be a bit of a learning experience for both the players and the coaches this year. We’ve had a lot of jostling around so far."

Daganya has enlisted the help of a former player this year as well, as 1997 OBHS graduate Dierdre Komicki returns to her alma mater to help Daganya with this year’s crew. Last season’s assistant coach, Karlie Termotto, will coach the freshman team this season.

The Knights, who were scheduled to play Monroe yesterday, will face a stiff test tomorrow (weather permitting) if their scheduled match with third-ranked East Brunswick takes place.

The Bears graduated 13 players from last year’s 14-7 NJSIAA sectional finalist team, including seven starters, but has enough talent returning to remain one of the area’s elite teams, led by Aimee Chroniewski, Katie McMillin, Julie Beck and Eric Whalen.

The Sayreville Bombers are another of the area’s top teams, after losing just two players from last year’s 12-5-2 team. The Bombers’ lineup includes a pair of All-Area performers last year in senior forward Jessica Antonucci and senior linemate Lynn Olender, as well as an excellent goaltender in senior Aimee Pitti.