The captains for the 2015 Germantown Friends School field hockey team are seniors Carmen Turner (left) and Abigail Gard. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

Five varsity regulars graduated from Germantown Friends’ 2014 field hockey team, but that’s only half the number the Tigers lost from their program the year before.

Abigail Gard and Carmen Turner are the senior co-captains for 2015, and the other two 12th-graders on the squad are Sabrina Song and Anita Zhang.

There’s a new head coach this season, but one who’s very familiar with the GFS personnel. In fact, longtime lacrosse coach Katie Bergstrom Mark headed the field hockey program when she first came to Germantown Friends 15 years ago. She became girls’ athletic director nine years back, and is now entering her seventh academic year as the overall A.D. Traci Taylor, who has worked with Bergstrom-Mark on the lacrosse sideline, is now an assistant coach in field hockey, as well.

Former field hockey head Dana White has moved on after two seasons, but a more significant departure was that of Dana Griffin. The highly-popular Griffin, who has made a cross-country move, was the hockey head coach in 2006 and 2007. Later she served as assistant coach for both hockey and softball, and was also a member of the school faculty.

In addition to this year’s four field hockey seniors, there are five other athletes who appeared on the 2014 varsity roster; juniors Emma Lynam and Livia Pinover, and sophomores Allie Lipschutz, Sydney Slavitt, and Olivia Wells. Joining the varsity cadre this fall are junior Zoe Loomis and 10th-graders Maddie Figueredo and Layah Taylor.

The freshmen playing up with the 2015 varsity are Sarah Levin, Gloria Lyu, twin sisters Emory and Jane McLaughlin, and Julian Tanier.

After an initial setback against Baldwin School, the Tigers won at home last Wednesday against Girls High, 5-1. Turner recorded a goal and an assist, and the other goals came from Song, Lynam, Pinover, and Figueredo.