Rams Count on Youth to Re- Energize Field Hockey Team

CARMEL—Last year was a tough one for the Carmel High field hockey team, as the Rams finished the season with a 4-9-4 record, losing to John Jay of East Fishkill in the first round of sectionals, 1-0.

Right: Rebecca Eisenstein. SKIP PEARLMAN Major losses to graduation include All-Elite defender Sarah McCormack, All-League midfielder Christina Caso and goaltender Sam Scapoli.

Carmel returns for the 2010 season with a new coach and plenty of hope for the future.

Andrea Caso, a 2006 Carmel graduate, steps in as head coach for departing veteran Colette Brenneman. Caso was a three-year varsity player at Carmel, where she was named All- Section twice. The standout midfielder went on to play four years of field hockey at D-1 Siena College, and sees good things in store for the Rams.

“We have a lot of youth,” Caso said. “We have one or two seniors, three juniors, and the rest are freshmen and sophomores. So this year we’ll be re-building, but we’ll still expect to do well because they are all good athletes. So I think the future of the program is bright.”

Caso will rely heavily on returning starters Sara Rattigan (junior, offense), Rebecca Eisenstein (junior, midfield) and Claudia Jarzebiak (senior, offense). All three will serve as team captains.

“All three have skills, and are ready to control the game defensively and offensively,” Caso said. “And they will need to teach the young players as well.”

The Rams also have Cassie Schuttrumpf (sophomore, offense), Kirsten Webb (sophomore, defense) and Sara Knox (sophomore, offense) back from last year’s squad, while Kelly Elwood (freshman, offense), Megan O’Brien (freshman, offense) and Camryn Curry (sophomore, offense) are new players who are likely to make some noise on the varsity level this fall.

Carmel will play in League 1B, taking on Mahopac, Brewster, John Jay CR, Yorktown and Somers, and Caso believes the team will be competitive.

“I expect us to make the sectionals,” the coach said. “And we’ll need the upperclassmen to step up and pull the underclassmen under their wing… because they don’t have experience.”

Carmel opens the 2010 season September 14th, at home vs. North Salem at 4:15 p.m.