Freshman Field Uses Tough Play To Emerge As Team Leader

In backyard football games, every caught pass is part of the Super Bowl's last-minute drive. Young soccer players see their neighborhood field transformed into a packed stadium hosting the World Cup, while the grittier New Englanders strap on their skates and step not onto the frozen-over neighborhood pond, but onto a finely groomed rink with the world championship at stake. Sadly, the visions fade when the game's over and it's time to go back inside.

This is not the case for Emily Field, however. She made those dreams come true before she even turned 18. A proud owner of a gold medal from the 2011 U18 women's hockey world championship, Field now suits up at Conte Forum for the No. 4 Boston College women's ice hockey team, and she wouldn't have it any other way. A Mass. native, the forward grew up in Littleton, 40 minutes northwest of Boston. Hockey has long been a family tradition, as her dad, Matthew, played in college, as well as her older sister, Melissa.

"I grew up on a lake, so in the winter we always went skating," Field said. "I've always been interested in all sports, but for some reason hockey was just more fun for me. I could go crazy."

She first proved herself at age 11, when she won her first of five—count 'em, five—national championships with her club program, Assabet Valley.

"I had no idea what I was getting into," Field said of coming in first at the tournament in Colorado. "I didn't know it was that serious, I didn't know I was that good."

The talent's there, of course. You don't get to the level that Field is at without it. But the forward sees her attitude as her greatest strength, rather than pure athletic ability.

"Being hardworking all over the ice has definitely been my strongest point," Field said, "and has gotten me to where I am today."

While playing for Assabet, Field attended Lawrence Academy, and helped the Spartans to a 20-2-2 record during her senior season.

With such a stellar prep campaign, strong programs all over New England soon came knocking, including Boston University, Northeastern, and Connecticut. For Field, though, there was never any doubt as to which she wanted to attend.

"BC was always my favorite school that I wanted to go to," Field said. Several Lawrence alumni are also current Eagles, and the presence of such familiar faces made the Chestnut Hill choice even easier.

Head coach Katie King Crowley remembers Field as a "tough kid" who impressed the BC staff when she came in for a workout.

"She was being looked at by a couple schools," Crowley said. "I thought she would fit well at Boston College, what we had here."

Field is one of six freshmen on the squad this year, and has been one of the essential pieces to a program looking to restructure. The departure of Kelli Stack and Molly Schaus last year left two gold medal-sized holes in the roster, and the big question on Crowley's mind was how the team would rebuild.

Enter Field, a scrappy player who is known for getting the job done when it needs to be. "I was always the one who coaches put out there when we needed a goal," she said. "I was never the girl that had great hands, or the best shot," preferring instead to "scrum it up and try to get chances."

Despite the faster pace of collegiate hockey, Field hasn't yet missed a beat in the transition. She racked up seven points in her first six games, and currently stands in second on the team with 22, shown up only by classmate Alex Carpenter, who's earned 27 so far. The two go way back, having played against each other on both the high school and club levels. Winning gold together in Sweden went a long way toward burying the hatchet, however, and the two have emerged as the go-to offensive weapons, as Field has dished out numerous assists to her linemate, and vice versa.

Though at times a self-described "space cadet" in the locker room, especially when paired with junior forward Ashley Motherwell, Field maintains her focus on working to improve. She heads out onto the ice early to work on quicker shots and other mechanics to complement her scrappy style of play.

"She's a gritty kind of player," Crowley said. "She gets in the corner, and doesn't back down from anything, whether it's chasing down the puck, chasing down the defenseman … she's tough. Not a big kid, but a tough kid. She'll go through people, she'll go through the wall."

Toughness is a requisite for the upcoming Beanpot tournament, as Boston rivalries run deep. After a 6-0 loss to BU last Wednesday, Field and the team are especially eager for another encounter with the Terriers, potentially coming in the championship. The forward has already attended several Beanpots, watching from the stands with her Lawrence teammates, but this one will be her first out on the ice.

"I'm very excited," Field said. "Emotions will be high."

Such an emotional setting can sometimes cause collegiate newcomers to freeze up, but Crowley is confident in Field. "I think she'll be fired up for it," the head coach said of her forward.