Courtesy of Clarus Multimedia
Camel of the Edition is a series which seeks to highlight extraordinary Connecticut College athletes who have stood out for their recent performances.
Bridget McGann ‘26 is a forward on the women’s field hockey team who burst onto the collegiate scene with her historic 2022 season. The junior from West Hartford, Connecticut, is in her first year as a team captain in a position to expand her role as a leader on the field and in the locker room. Last season, McGann was awarded with NFHCA Region II Second Team, All-NESCAC Second Team, NFHCA Scholar of Distinction, NFHCA National Academic Squad, and was most recently placed on the National Field Hockey Coaches Association’s (NFHCA) national watchlist.
Recently, The College Voice caught up with McGann to learn more about her field hockey journey, how she has seen the program evolve from her first year, and what it is like being a captain for the first time.
Could you please introduce yourself?
My name is Bridget McGann. I am a junior on the field hockey and women’s ice hockey team. My pronouns are she/her. I am involved in the One Love Club and Women in Finance. In field hockey we are involved with Team Impact and other sorts of organizations. My major is Economics, and my minor is Finance, and I play forward for field hockey and wing for ice hockey.
Tell me about your sporting journey and when field hockey became your focus.
I started playing field hockey and ice hockey when I was eight years old. I started playing [then] because that’s when our town league started having youth field hockey. We were super lucky because a lot of people don’t have that opportunity until high school or middle school. I also started playing because my mom played. I never really played club [field hockey] because ice hockey always took over in the winter. I did a few showcases with HTC [Field Hockey], and then in high school, the varsity team was a great experience because I had a lot of upperclassmen I looked forward to playing with and that were great role models. It was just a sport I always had fun playing. I enjoyed being there and enjoyed the competitive aspect. I loved scoring goals, so it started being more serious in high school and that’s when I knew I wanted to play in college.
What was your recruitment process like, and why did you end up deciding on Conn?
Through the recruitment process, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to play ice hockey as well, so I didn’t want to go play at a higher division where I would not be able to do all the things I love to do, like traveling and playing ice hockey so DIII was the perfect opportunity. When I came to Conn to visit, I loved it. I loved the campus and my dad played basketball here so there were already great connections.
Can you describe field hockey for people who aren’t as familiar with the sport?
It is definitely a confusing sport. Lots of whistles. A lot of rules that make it hard to pick up at first. The formations are kind of like soccer; we have 11 v 11. You can’t use the backside of the stick, so that’s where it is different from ice hockey, and it’s obviously on turf so you have a different surface. It is similar to a mix between soccer and ice hockey but definitely its own sport with its own distinct rules that make it somewhat confusing.
Courtesy of Maddy Dombal ’26
You said you mainly play forward. What about that position is appealing to you, and how does it differ from other positions on the field?
So I am a forward, but this year, I have played a little bit of an attacking center [midfield] as well, so playing a little further back. I get to play a little more defense which I enjoy but I love playing forward because that’s where all the fun stuff happens. You get to score goals. You get to make runs. I think it’s super fun! It’s just a super high-intensity position.
The season before you arrived at Conn, the team was outscored 21-67, going 2-13. Since then, the team’s win percentage has increased threefold, and Conn has become a more competitive team in the Northeast. Where do you think this success has come from, and where is it going this season and beyond?
We have worked a lot on our team culture. I know in the previous years the people who have been on the team, seniors right now, didn’t have the best experience coming in as freshmen. It just wasn’t the best environment but we have worked hard and the people before us as well have worked really hard to create a safe environment that allows us to be competitive and have fun. At the end of the day, everyone feels welcome. That’s where you feel comfortable and that’s where you play your best. I think also increasing the level of competition and setting the tone, knowing that when you come to practice, you’re going to work hard and it is fun but it’s not just about going through the motions. It’s about really trying to get better.
You have had a historic career so far at Conn. You’re tied for 6th in single-season goals, 7th in single-season points, and on pace to be top 10 in both goals and points in Conn history. What do you think puts you so far ahead of the pack?
I just have to start by saying I’ve had a ton of great teammates who have helped push me in the past, including like I mentioned in high school, a lot of people who went DI. I have always had a lot of good role models and competitors that have made me better. I think also playing hockey helps because that’s a sport where it’s so intense and you have to be gritty. I think I carry a lot of that into field hockey, so being a dual sport athlete definitely helps me. I also have this innate drive to want to score. To want to win. I hate losing. Even in practice, we do drills, and my whole team knows, if I am on a team and we’re losing I am not going to be happy about it. I think having that will and want to win, and the hatred of losing makes me, me. I also like diving, so I am not afraid to put my body on the line to score a goal. I know I had a few of those freshman year.
On top of your success on the field, you have received a slew of awards. Which was the most memorable?
I think freshman year getting the all-NESCAC Second Team [honors] because coming in [as a freshman] sometimes, it can be hard to adjust to a higher level [of competition], especially since I really didn’t play club. [It meant a lot] since Conn hadn’t had much success, and that year, we got two NESCAC wins. So not even just looking at my individual [accomplishment,] but that season was really monumental for Conn’s progress.
Before the season began, you were placed on the 2024 NFHCA National watchlist. What was it like hearing that news?
That was really exciting. Last year, I was injured a bit during the season, so I didn’t get to play as much or to the level I normally hold myself to, but to still be recognized for that was super exciting. It kind of set the tone for this season. I was really excited, but now I have the expectation, and I want to keep living up to it.
How has this season been for the team so far?
The season has been going well. We just had a huge win against Colby which was our first NESCAC win of the season so far. We had a tough setback at Tufts, but that was coming off a doubleheader weekend so it wasn’t the ideal conditions. The season is going well. We are 2-4 right now, and we have Middlebury this weekend, which will be tough. After that, hopefully we will look to get back on track, put up a good showing against Mid[dlebury], and then we have Springfield coming up and a lot more NESCAC games. A lot of the NESCAC games this year have been super back and forth, so I think we can make some moves coming up, which is exciting.
Conn hasn’t been to the NESCAC Field Hockey playoffs since 2017 and hasn’t ended a season with a winning record since 2005. What can this team do to break those streaks?
I honestly think this team has it. Like I said, the NESCAC teams have a lot up in the air right now. Some teams winning, and other teams beating them and then them losing; you never really know this year. I think what’s different about this year is that we have a lot of people who can score, and no matter who is on the field, we can make it happen. There are other forwards like me who want to score and are able to do that, which I think is huge. Our defense is also phenomenal, and we have a lot of experience back there, especially with our center back. We also have a phenomenal goalie. Our midfield is strong, too, so I think we have the structure, power, and skill to do it. So it’s really about just putting it all together.
This is your first year as captain; how has that been going so far?
Being captain can be a lot of work. Right now, it is a ton of meetings with other captains and [the] leadership council on the weekly which takes time, but at the end of the day, [it] is super worth it. The more we work together, [the more] we work on our culture and have meetings to talk things through. We are working a lot on transparency. If there is an issue, we talk about it and squash it. That is a lot of what we do, honestly, just working with our coaches and the rest of the team. It is super rewarding, and working on our team culture is a lot on us, so if we see something, we want to address it. It is obviously a huge honor.
Does the team have any special team bonding activities, traditions, or pre-game rituals?
Yeah, we do! Before every game, we go into the locker room and do this type of Zumba activity. It sounds so silly, but we put on music, and a few of the girls on the team are good dancers, and they take us through the dancing movements. That just gets us in the right headspace. We also do a lot of team bonding. We had a team dinner in Harris with our Team Impact player, which was awesome! Today, we are going to [the B.F.] Clyde Cider Mill after our practice, so we do a lot of stuff on and off campus, which helps bond us.
Out of the next nine games, six of them are home. Out of any of them, which most excites you, and which should camels definitely tune into?
We are super excited to have home games! It is also probably an advantage for us because our new turf is a bit slower, which presents a lot of challenges for us and other teams, but if we are more used to it, that’s probably beneficial. I am personally super excited for Trinity. I think last year we almost went into overtime with them, but we got a goal scored on us in the last minute and I think we can definitely look to beat them. Bates also will be a super good game. They have been doing fairly well, but I think we also have the opportunity to beat them. Wesleyan also. They are always our last game, and we just have this intense rivalry. They have been doing super well this year and last year, but the last two years, we have been able to come out on top. It’s going to be a battle, but I am super excited!
Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
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