Contributing writer
When Northwestern field hockey players look to past Wildcatsteams for inspiration, coach Kelly McCollum’s 1994 Big TenChampionship squad certainly comes to mind.
McCollum captained the team before returning to NU as anassistant coach in 2000, and is now in her first year as headcoach.
McCollum’s knowledge of the rigors of student-athlete life at NUhas been beneficial, senior Candice Cooper said.
“She’s been there,” Cooper said. “She knows the quarter system.She knows the distractions. She’s lived through it.”
Since taking over the team, McCollum has started “newtraditions,” including increased physical fitness, she said. Thatincluded what Cooper called a “brutal” preseason and an intensewinter training program.
“It’s been an exciting change,” McCollum said of her new post.”The players have been open to change.”
Under McCollum’s coaching, the team is 5-3 going into today’smatchup against rival Iowa (3-4).
NU is coming off a 3-2 win against Ball State on Sept. 18, butthe Hawkeyes shut out NU twice last year, and will prove to be animportant test in a new chapter in the squad’s history.
The Cats went 1-6 in conference play and 9-9 overall lastseason. But the change in coaching this year, along with the team’syouth — Cooper and Morgan Kuhn are the only seniors — has createda different squad.
“The goal for this season is to set a new standard” for theprogram, McCollum said. “We train every day to becomechampions.”
The team is looking more offensive after a few seasons of beingmore defensive-minded, Cooper said. She said she hopes opponentswill think, “Whoa, watch out — Northwestern’s a threat on thecorner line.”
Cooper was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week on Sept.6, and hopes to keep scoring in order to build the Cats’ reputationas a danger to other teams. She has 10 goals and three assists sofar this season.
“Definitely we want to be a threat in the Big Ten and we want tomake it to the Final Four,” Cooper said.
McCollum said she hopes to bring NU back to prominence thisyear, using her experience as a conference champion and as anassistant coach at Northeastern University in Boston and theUniversity of New Hampshire as well as at NU.
McCollum is not the only alumna on the coaching staff. Assistantcoach Jennifer Pelleriti-Sarmiento played with McCollum underformer coach Marisa Didio.
McCollum said their experiences as players “totally helped” themlearn how to to communicate with current players.
But she said the level of play is higher and the competitionfiercer than when she was a player.
“Iowa’s a big match for us,” McCollum said. “Traditionally it’sa big rivalry.
“These are the games we work for. I think it’s going to be agreat match.”
