Junior Abby Hine was recently named NESCAC Field Hockey Player of the Week. It is the second time not only in her collegiate career that she has received the award, but also the second time in two years. Hine leads the Camels in goals (4), assists (3), and points (11), and has been crucial to the team’s success so far this season.
In their big win against #16 Amherst earlier in the season, Hine contributed to both of Conn’s goals, assisting on the first and scoring the second in a 2-1 Camels victory. Last season, Hine was named second team All-NESCAC and second team All-New England.
She is currently 8th on Conn’s all-time scoring leaders list with 57 career points.
VOICE: What was it like to be named NESCAC Player of the Week?
HINE: It is a tremendous honor to be named NESCAC Player of the Week, but I really feel like I owe this one to my team. Amherst College was ranked 16th in the nation before we got to them, and to be honest, I don’t think anyone outside of our team was expecting us to win. We were big underdogs going into this game and through the hard work of all my teammates and from myself we were able to come out on top and get recognized by all of NESCAC as a very threatening team.
VOICE: You were named Player of the Week last season, how does this time differ?
HINE: This time differs from last year because of our team this year. We have a whole new dynamic this year and we are so connected. Even though I was named Player of the Week, none of this would have happened if we didn’t work as hard as we did as a whole. This award is a great representation of how far our team has come and shows how big of a threat we are in the NESCAC division.
VOICE: You’ve been an impact player on the team since your freshman year. What’s been the key to all of your success?
HINE: I work very hard on and off the field. I usually try to get down to the field early to practice a few extra things here and there and to get a sweat in before practice actually starts. I am also aware of everything that affects my body as an athlete. I focus on eating the right things and getting plenty of sleep before practices and games. I also pretend every practice is like a little game. I try and score as many goals in practice as I can and I feel like that gives me the extra drive in games. If a goalie is in front of me with the ball, I will plow through her so that the ball ends up in the cage.
VOICE: After doing so well over your first two seasons at Conn, what keeps you motivated moving forward?
HINE: Each year I get more and more motivated to play. My teammates are what keep me going. I really don’t think anyone knows the effort this team puts into our season. Once a week we get out there at 6:45 in the morning with Wuyke and we pretty much hate every minute of it. But we still do it because we know it’s making us stronger. We have many running based practices but we all push ourselves to work harder and be faster. We have team lifts every week to get ourselves in the weight room and keep our muscles at the level in which we need them. We all hold ourselves accountable and push each other to be our best. I play for my teammates.
VOICE: What are your personal and team goals for this season?
HINE: I usually set goals for myself on a daily or weekly basis. I try to focus on my individual game and always strive to do my best. As for my team, we have many team goals and go over them before every game. Our biggest goal is to host the first round of NESCACs and to continue all the way to finals. Throughout the season we expect everyone to show up for all seventy minutes of the game and fight until the very end.
VOICE: As a varsity ice hockey player as well, what do you like about field hockey that you don’t get when you’re on the ice?
HINE: I love that I can take the ball and use my stick skills to carry the ball all the way down the field to get a shot. I love how many of my teammates are out on the field with me to work together and support each other. My most favorite thing about field hockey is the sound the ball makes when it hits the backboard in the back of the cage. This sounds silly, but I really do dream about this sound. In hockey its awesome when the puck hits the net, but when the field hockey ball smacks against the wood in the back of the cage, this feeling comes over me that I can’t really describe.
VOICE: Did you intend to play both sports at the varsity level when you first came to Conn?
HINE: I did intend to play both field hockey and hockey here at Conn. I originally only wanted to shoot for D-1 field hockey when I was in high school, but after doing all my visits to these schools I really couldn’t imagine throwing away all the hard work and time I put into hockey as a kid. I traveled everywhere from all over Canada to Minnesota to Alaska to play hockey growing up and I just couldn’t give it up. I absolutely love both my sports and wouldn’t have it any other way.
VOICE: Other than ice and field hockey, what are your main interests?
HINE: I love to work with children. I am majoring in human development and minoring in sociology-based human relations. I have done a lot of work with children with disabilities and intend to further my studies in this when I graduate. I really hope one day to travel to countries in South America to do work with Orphanage Outreach.
