Warriors’ new coach is a familiar face

Katie Nicholson, who has been the girls lacrosse coach at New Egypt High School for the past three seasons, said she will not be looking over her shoulder when she starts her first season as the Warriors’ field hockey coach in the team’s Sept. 9 opener at home against Holy Cross.

Katie Nicholson Nicholson succeeds her mom, Patti, who built the New Egypt field hockey program from its first season nine years ago and stepped down after the 2009 season. Patti Nicholson has remained with the program as an assistant and the junior varsity coach.

“No, I don’t feel that way, but I know she will shed a tear of pride when we accomplish things,” said Nicholson, who actually trades places this season; she was an assistant for her mom for the past four seasons. “I have complete confidence, and I know it’s happening for that team.”

New Egypt moves from the Freedom Division that it won for an eighth straight season in a 17-4 campaign last year to the Patriot Division of the Burlington County Scholastic League.

New Egypt’s 2009 season ended in a 2- 1 loss to Notre Dame, which it had beaten, 1-0, in its opener.

Nicholson, a two-time high school All- American forward at Allentown High School whose No. 4 was retired by the Redbirds, will be inducted into the Allentown Hall of Fame next month with the co-state championship 1997 team on which she played as a sophomore. That team played to a scoreless overtime tie with West Essex.

New Egypt played its final field hockey scrimmage against Allentown. Nicholson also plays in Allentown’s alumnae game, and the Warriors’ coach said she still feels an association with that program and follows the success of its current players.

She went from high school to a perennial top-20 team at the University of Virginia. The Cavaliers advanced to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight when Nicholson was a sophomore in 2003.

The Jackson Memorial High School field hockey team prepared for its 2010 season opener when the Jaguars hosted Manasquan in a scrimmage on Sept. 1 in Jackson. Above, Jackson Memorial’s Sam Porcelli (l) is on the attack. Below, Jackson Memorial’s Sam Diaz makes a pass through a pair of Manasquan defenders. For more photos, see Photo Galleries at gmnews.com. PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCAR staff In middle school, Nicholson played for the Millstone Township Middle School against a New Egypt Middle School team that was coached by her mom. Some of the New Egypt Middle School players who were coached by Patti Nicholson became Katie’s high school teammates at Allentown.

“Overall, we have the same philosophy,” Katie said. “We hit tactics a lot, but there is a responsibility where your team becomes a family and showing them what athletics can give them, life lessons. My tactics are a little bit different because, being a younger player and a younger coach than my mom, I expect a little bit more intensity from the players.”

Nicholson credits her mother for getting her off to a good start with the Warriors’ program by telling the players about her daughter’s playing background.

Nicholson, who still plays field hockey in an adult league, is imparting her knowledge to a team with good experience, but one that will break in a new goalie in Danielle Solinski, a junior being mentored by goalie coach Sara Bouroult.

Bouroult was an All-American goalie for The College of New Jersey when the Lions won an NCAA Division III national title.

Solinski will be surrounded by a defense returning three starters in seniors Kaitlyn Probasco, a sweeper, and Nicole Coyne; and Alexa Magnotta, who started as a freshman in the middle last season. Junior Shelby Brevogel and senior Jamie VanDerTuyn are pressing for the other starting spot.

Seniors Karly Ossowski and Emily Bausher are the midfielders in New Egypt’s 4-2-4 formation.

Kayla Soles is one of the forwards along with junior Cortney Natalicchio, who already has scored 114 goals in field hockey in two seasons.

Natalicchio had 64 goals in field hockey in a winning season last spring, including all four goals in a 4-2 victory over Group IV power Rancocas Valley, and she was one of the top scorers last season on a team that stressed defense first.

The other two spots will be filled by seniors Katelyn Buschoff and Dianna Andreula, and her sophomore sister, Danielle Andreula.

“We might be underestimated going into a new division with bigger schools, but I think we’ll be competitive,” said Nicholson.

The Warriors’ scheduled includes matchups with Bordentown, Delran and Cinnaminson.

“Playing these schools can only help us for the states,” the coach said. “I played forward and worked with the forwards as an assistant coach, but we stressed so much defense and attacking the backs, more defensive concepts. I focus more on defense [in practices]. I never thought I would be saying that.”

Key reserves working to earn playing time include junior Rachel Roccuzzo and sophomores Jackie Delannoy, Kayla Hranj and Courtney Stillwell.

Although Nicholson said she continues to stress technical skills, she also appreciates speed, which she has shown as a player, and avoiding fouls. But she said a “selfstart” rule change in which a fouled player can keep possession of the ball and continue dribbling and does not have to pass the ball first when play resumes will make the game faster.