It’s always nice to have one of the top offensive players in the Ivy League on your team.
It’s even better when that player is a freshman.
Alexa Hoover, an attack out of Collegeville, Pa., is enjoying one of the best breakout seasons in recent memory for Penn field hockey. She leads the Quakers with six goals through five games and has been named Ivy League Rookie of the Week two of the first three weeks of the season.
“I’ve always believed that I could [perform at this level], but I wanted to actually see it and feel it,” said Hoover, who credits her speed and stick skills for her breakout success. “I’ve been dreaming of playing at Penn since I was seven years old. I told my parents, ‘Mom, Dad , I want to play here,’ and they were just like, ‘Yeah, OK .’”
Hoover’s six goals scored are the second-most in the Ivy League, trailing only Cornell’s Marisa Siergiej , who coincidentally provided the lone tally in the Big Red’s 1-0 defeat of the Quakers on Saturday. Hoover has also recorded two assists, good for second on the team.
Nobody is more pleased with the freshman’s early performance than Hoover’s coach Colleen Fink , who says she is cautiously optimistic that Hoover’s play will mean big things for the program.
“She works well within the confines of the team,” she said. “We’re all excited for what her four years will bring.”
However, Fink is quick to note that Hoover’s success is not entirely unexpected.
“Alexa Hoover is and was one of the top recruits in the Class of 2014,” Fink said. “No one can predict how well someone will adapt to the college game, but surprise would not be a word I would use to describe her performance.”
Hoover credits senior attack Emily Corcoran as her largest positive influence on the team. Corcoran’s five goals place her one behind Hoover for the team lead.
“She’s been amazing, and she definitely helps me with skills on the field — she’s a great person to look up to,” Hoover said. “Being a forward, I hope to be as successful as she’s been over the last four years.”
Despite all the accolades and impressive statistics, Hoover’s freshman campaign has not been without its hiccups. A yellow card late in a Sept. 14 game against Liberty led to the deciding goal in a 3-2 loss.
Hoover said of the miscue, “It’s frustrating, but it’s never intentional. But the thing about sports is overcoming things that are hard.”
Fink was quick to come to her young star’s defense, noting that Hoover is gifted at overcoming adversity. “I don’t think it gets to her, which is really a huge strength of hers. But she’s still learning how to manage the game.”
Saturday’s loss to Cornell kicked off Ivy League play for the 2-3 Quakers, who will take on Lafayette on the road Wednesday.
Looking to the future, Fink is ecstatic that her team’s leading scorer is only a freshman: “She’s making us very optimistic. She really loves to play.”
As for Hoover, she has some well-defined goals for the years to come. “I really hope to keep making an impact. I hope to keep up at the rate I’m at now.
“And clearly, everyone wants an Ivy League title.”
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