Central Michigan University Athletics
Field Hockey Preps for Opener Under New Coach
8/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - The Molly Pelowski era of Central Michigan field hockey gets under way Friday at 1 p.m. when the Chippewas open the season with a non-conference game against Delaware at the CMU Field Hockey Complex.
Pelowski, who served as a graduate assistant at CMU from 2006-08, was named the Chippewas' head coach in early February. She served as an assistant for the previous seven years at Michigan State. The Chippewas play host to the Spartans Sunday at noon.
"What excites me about the team is all the potential that's there," said Pelowski, who played goalkeeper at Michigan from 2000-04, and was a member of the Wolverines' 2001 national championship team. "We're not there yet, but we could be. These kids work really hard. Over the last seven years of coaching I had to ask kids to work hard a lot. I have not had to ask that of this team. So I get to coach every day, I don't have to motivate every day.
"Couldn't have asked for a better group for a first year coaching. I've got a great senior class. I'm looking forward to seeing how we grow and develop once November hits."
Pelowski took over after Cristy Freese, who coached the Chippewas for 29 seasons, became CMU's Senior Associate Athletics Director in January.
"We have high expectations, a high focus for improving on our basic skills, attention to detail," Pelowski said. "Everything we do in practice is game-simulation. A lot of jumping right in to very game-specific, game-applicable drills. We've had a really good camp."
The Chippewas return a number of veterans from the 2014 team that won the Mid-American Conference regular-season championship, including goalkeeper Sadie Lynn Reynolds, who led the league in saves (153), saves per game (8.05), save percentage (.739) and earned Second Team All-MAC honors.
Senior Kaysie Gregory, who led the Chippewas with seven assists a year ago and also earned second-team all-conference honors, is among the top returnees.
"Kaysie Gregory is our rock," Pelowski said. "If something's not going well, she's the person that I look to and say, `Get your team together.'
"She's definitely an outstanding leader, an outstanding field hockey player. She's going to be key for us up front in the attack line."
Among the other top returnees are seniors Morgan Ripley and Elaine Materise and junior Maude Stalars.
Stalars, a First Team All-MAC selection a year ago, is "probably our most hockey-wise, technically sound player," Pelowski said. "She understands the game, she can read the play. She's got the technical skill to go along with it.
"She is serious about making an impact as a member of Central Michigan field hockey."
Among the others who Pelowski expects to be major contributions are freshman Ally Davis, sophomore Kayla McClure and junior Olivia Wagner along with seniors Taylor McKeon, Olivia Shagam and Kianne Hinkle.
"I think our greatest challenge was getting on the same page with terminology and the players getting used to how I refer to things," Pelowski said. "Trying to get us all to speak the same language has been key for us in moving forward.
"They've embraced what we're doing. In terms of some of the tactical adjustments, we're ahead of schedule. In terms of some of the technical execution, that's where we're going to really center our focus for the next week.
"The three tenants of our program are preparation, hard work and toughness. They're putting in the hard work, they came into camp prepared, and now we're learning about how to be relentless defensively."
