When Petra Doherty joined the Lawrence High field hockey team as a freshman, her individual skills were sharp, but an understanding of how to play her position on the field needed some work.
Then it all came together for Doherty as a junior last season, when she not only understood how to play one position, but all of them.
“Something that sticks out for me is she has played every single position for me,” coach Megan Errico said. “I probably move her at least three times during a game. Who we play is kind of dependent on where Petra will play because I trust her at every position.
“She started as a forward, then for a while I played her as a defender, now I have her as a mid. Every game I could change her because I trust her in all those positions. And she doesn’t complain about it, which I think is the best aspect of it.”
It is a major difference from when Doherty entered high school. She had done individual work with Princeton University assistant Melisa Meccage for three seasons and her stickwork and speed were in place. Her understanding of the game, not so much.
“Her individual work is incredible,” Errico said. “I think it took her some time to really develop over the last few years as a field player. She did a lot of individual work with Melisa Meccage, who is outstanding. But playing different positions and being on the field as a team player was difficult.”
The coach was quick to point out that did not mean Doherty was selfish. She was just uncertain.
“It was just more like understanding the role of a left back or a right forward, what to actually do when you’re on the field, where to be on the field,” Errico said. “It’s not (a case of) taking the ball and not giving it up, but more where she is on the field and what she should do there. That really changed last year as a junior.”
Doherty admitted to some trepidation when she started field hockey; but as things progressed, she figured it out.
“I think since I was so new to the sport, I didn’t really know my role on the field and what was expected of that position,” she said.
And what turned it around last year?
“I think, honestly, my confidence just grew from playing,” Doherty said. “And also it grew with the girls. I started to get to know them better and I was more comfortable with them.”
Petra’s foray into sticks and pads came the summer prior to seventh grade. She had grown tired of soccer and wanted a new sport. Her mom, Rebecca, played field hockey for Sayreville High School and suggested field hockey. Doherty attended a camp at Rider “so I could learn about the game itself. I kind of just learned the basics.”
But it wasn’t easy.
“I didn’t know anything about it,” she said. “I didn’t know the rules, I was like “How do people play this on grass?” The whistles confused me.”
But she endured and became a defender for the middle school team, although she didn’t fall in love with the position. Soon after she began working with Meccage “who helped me with my hit and my drive.”
When Doherty entered Lawrence, Errico could see that she had some raw talent to work with. That ability, however, did not have a home on the field.
“Honestly I didn’t really know what position I wanted to do,” Doherty said. “I started out on defense, and my coach moved me to mid, and then we needed someone to play offense so I just played that too. That’s kind of how it went.”
Errico felt that Doherty’s uncertainty of where to play was a hidden blessing.
“I think it’s nice to come into a sport and not necessarily have a position, because then for a coach you can kind of mold that when you have someone who has great stickwork,” the coach said. “And Petra is intelligent, I think that has a lot to do with it as well.
“Her freshman year she was a decent player, sophomore year she was decent but last year she totally fell where she needed to fall and became a leader and took over. She has a great sense of humor, she’s definitely a kid who other people can rely on.”
Doherty needed her intelligence to figure out how to play so many different positions. She became a true student of the game.
“I guess that’s how I learned best and kind of picked up on it,” she said. “It was difficult. I kind of just would watch other people from the sideline play that position and when she told me to sub in for them, I tried to mimic what they did.”
So she picked it up fast? .
“I like to think that,” Petra said with a laugh.
As a sophomore, Doherty had two goals and an assist and last year she collected four goals and seven assists, proving she could create up front as well as defend in the back and control play in the middle.
“She does have the ability to score,” Errico said. “I had her on corners, so that helps with assists. Obviously Caroline Rotteveel (25 goals, 13 assists as a sophomore) is a big story and Alex Murphy had a lot of goals (16) last year. Alex is just as incredible but in a different way. With Petra, even though her stats aren’t as in-your-face, she’s the player you want. She never complains, she moves everywhere, she’s fast, she’s in shape, and has a good work ethic.”
One of Doherty’s biggest strengths is her speed, and she credits her track training for improvement in that area. Petra ran the 100 and 200 last spring while also going to the Meet of Champions in the high jump.
“That’s helped tremendously,” she said. “Coming into the last field hockey preseason I felt much more in shape than I was in previous years. And Errico always commented on how my speed got better. I think it helps a lot, especially from a midfield position. It’s a lot of running. I don’t mind it because that’s my strength.”
In fact, midfield is her favorite position but she added that “I don’t mind other positions, I think it’s fun.”
Being so well-rounded has helped her read an opponent, since most times Doherty is going against someone playing a position she has already played.
“It does help because you know how their mind is and what they’re aiming to do,” Petra said. “Having played that position, it’s just more helpful.”
And, of course, she also gets suggestions from mom.
“During the game she’ll let the coach do the coaching but once I’m in the car going home it’s another mini-lesson,” Doherty said. “I think it helps because she sees stuff I don’t see on the field.”
As she enters her senior year, Petra knows this will be her final field hockey season, as track & field has taken over as her number one sport. The College of New Jersey, Binghamton, Connecticut and Colgate are on the radar and her choice will be made by academics. If she can do track & field, all the better.
But she is looking forward to this autumn after Lawrence’s surprise run last year. After graduating the record-setting Schenck, the Cardinals came back with a 14-6 record, a championship in the Mercer County Tournament consolation round, an eight-game winning streak and a trip to the Central Jersey Group III quarterfinals after upsetting Colts Neck in the first round.
Although some key players graduated, Doherty leads a slew of nice returning performers, including seniors Murphy, Camille Jones and Charley DeMarco, and juniors Rotteveel, Riley Evans, Isabella Margolis, Bella Sanella, goalie Tess Adolf and Peyton Valentino.
“I wasn’t expecting to go 14-6 last year, that was a nice surprise,” Errico said. “I don’t really have any sophomores, we have a pretty big incoming freshman class, which is nice. We have three sophomores but they were all injured last year so they didn’t really play. So we’ll see what the freshmen have. My juniors and seniors are really good, hopefully they can come together and do what they need to do.”
Doherty feels that the cohesiveness is already there.
“I think it’s gonna be great,” she said. “We still have a lot of strong underclassmen and more incoming strong underclassmen. We’re like a tight-knit family so we’re all comfortable with each other.”
Errico is “99 percent sure” that Petra will be voted captain this year, and it’s not hard to see why. Even off the field she is a person people look to as a Peer Leader and Teen Pep Advisor. Add to that her strong talent and versatility and you have one of the Cards most important players.
“She’ll fill in where I need her to, that’s the best thing about having her,” Errico said. “I’ll put her where I need her and she’ll do it well. If she plays a sport in college it would be track. But she loves field hockey and she’s like a dream of a person to have on the team.”
The only problem is figuring out where to find her on the field. She could be anywhere.
Petra Doherty shows off her high jumping skills while celebrating a goal. (Photo by Sam Pastorella.),
