By Chris Detwiler -- STAFF WRITER
On a field hockey team where almost half the roster is made up of true freshmen, junior Madison Sauve stands out as the main veteran on the team.
She leads the team with nine goals, 22 points this season and four assists to go with it, which is good for second on the team.
Her nine goals are a career-high in her third year on the team.
Her previous career-best was five goals. Many people see goals scored as an individual statistic, but Sauve has a much different approach when thinking about her success.
“I think it’s just the fact that everyone else is stepping up their game,” Sauve said.
“Me being able to capitalize on my plays comes from my team, so them stepping up helps me step up.”
Her ability to give credit to her teammates for her own success shows her selfless mindset, one that is priceless on the field.
As a veteran on the team, her mindset is just as impactful to the young athletes as her on-field play.
Sauve has embraced this role as a veteran and realizes how big of an impact she has on rebuilding this team.
“I just definitely need to focus a lot more,” Sauve said when asked about how her mindset has changed as a veteran.
“I need to keep not only myself in mind, but them in mind to help them through their process of transitioning from high school to Division I because it is a big step.”
Being a veteran on such a young team is no easy task. Freshmen look at experienced players like Sauve and learn by the way she acts and plays on the field.
Being held under that spotlight holds a lot of responsibility for Sauve, including the task of helping the team play together.
“Trying to get 11 freshmen to become a team with the 12 [upperclassmen] has been a little bit of a challenge, but it’s all part of the process and it’s really great,” she said.
Sauve has been very impressed with how hard the freshmen have been working and how they have been performing thus far in the season.
“They bring a lot of skill and a lot of speed,” Sauve said. “They’ve really stepped up their game as far as freshman year goes, so they are able to propel us forward which is really great.”
Freshmen Anne van den Boomen, Philine de Wolf and Frankie O’Brien have all had enormous impacts on the team and have grown tremendously as they adjust to Division I athletics.
Sauve knows first-hand about the difficulties of adjusting from the high school level to the Division I level.
“High school is just very different than Division I,” she said.
“I don’t want to say it’s easier, but it’s a lot different because not everyone is at the Division I level.”
Before coming to Hofstra, Sauve graduated from Cumberland Valley High School (CVHS) in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, which is located about 20 miles southwest of Harrisburg.
Sauve played field hockey all four years she was at CVHS and recorded 88 points in her high school career.
When Sauve thought back on her time at CVHS, one moment in particular stood out to her.
“My senior year we made it to states – the second round of states. It was the first time ever,” Sauve said. “[Unfortunately], we lost.”
Her team made it to the Pennsylvania state tournament her junior year in high school as well, but they were knocked out in the first round.
Her senior year postseason run marked the first state tournament win in program history.
Sauve, a humble junior with a bright smile, has taken this young Hofstra field hockey team under her wing and propelled them forward.
Thanks to Sauve’s leadership, this field hockey team has a bright future ahead of them.