Published in the March 29, 2018 edition
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
NORTH READING — Emilie Warren’s journey to collegiate field hockey player is one every young athlete should familiarize themselves with. It was just a matter of time.
A goalie on the NRHS field hockey team, this past season was Warren’s first on the varsity. How did she turn this one year opportunity into a fantastic season and spot on the Mount Holyoke team? Start with her work ethic and attitude.
“Playing in college was a motivating factor for her in the offseason,” said NRHS head coach Andrea Slaven, who got to see Warren sign her National Letter of Intent recently. “This was a goal of hers and she did everything she could to make it happen.”
Warren accepted the challenge of leading an inexperienced and rebuilding Hornet team; a role in which she was well-suited with her many leadership qualities. She even took the time to help train a brand new goalie, and according to Slaven, set a great example for the underclassmen.
EMILIE WARREN holds up her signed National Letter of Intent to play field hockey at Mount Holyoke College starting this fall.
“She’s a coach’s dream,” said Slaven. “She was vocal in a positive manner. Coming in, being a starter just her senior season, some are intimidated by that, but she used it to her advantage. She really helped us in huddles by telling us what she’s seeing from the back of the field.”
Warren was lights out in net this season. The Hornets won four games; all of them were shutouts. Warren also added another shutout via a 0-0 tie against Pentucket.
Her offseason work included plenty of hours training with Slaven and goalie coach Katie Weber of the Danvers Indoor Sports field hockey program.
Slaven coached Warren for two years of club at DIS, and despite knowing her situation with the NRHS varsity, always encouraged her to improve.
“Coaching her as a sophomore and junior I pushed her to know that regardless of her not being a starter, it doesn’t limit what she could do at the next level.”
So, when Slaven, a teacher at the Hood School, took the job as NRHS varsity field hockey head coach this season, she was happy to name the starting goalie as someone who had earned every bit of it.
Warren’s resume is littered with field hockey accolades, like an 82 percent save percentage at the 2017 USA Futures Field Hockey Tournament. But even more impressive is her work with the Rosewood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Peabody and her participation as a tutor with the Youth Mentoring Program. Put the whole picture together and Mount Holyoke is getting a well-rounded student-athlete who will most certainly be a valued member of the community.
Even if Warren doesn’t start during her freshman year for the Lyons, it will only be a matter of time.
