Field Hockey

By David Borges, Register staff


NEW HAVEN — Think you’ve got a busy schedule? Not enough time in your day? Cheshire’s Grace Martha can sympathize.

A two-sport (field hockey, lacrosse) senior co-captain and standout at Southern Connecticut State University, Martha also is president of the school’s student-athlete advisory committee, excels in the classroom, and holds down a part-time job. She’s a one-woman whirlwind of activity.

Consider her schedule on a recent Tuesday: prior to a full day of classes, Martha handed out fliers in the school dining hall to promote the field hockey team’s “Play for a Cure” game. After classes from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., she ran from her final class to field hockey practice, which had already started at 2:30.

And when that practice was done at 4:45, she was off to work with some freshman lacrosse players who wanted to get in some individual work. (Lacrosse season doesn’t start until February, but fall captain’s practices have already begun).

After about an hour of practice, Martha’s day wasn’t done yet: there was still an hour-long meeting starting at 6, pertaining to her job with the school’s intramural sports program.

Just another day in the life of Grace Martha.

“It does get a little tiring,” Martha said. “(My schedule) gets a little full. But I’ve done this for so long ... I lettered every season but one in high school, so I’ve been able to

juggle sports and academics at the same time. By now, it’s something I’ve grown used to.”

Martha has not only grown used to it, she’s thrived. Last spring, as a junior captain, her 30 points (23 goals, seven assists) were third on the Owls’ lacrosse team. And so far this fall, Martha, a forward, has scored 11 points (two goals, seven assists) for the field hockey team that is 9-6 and has won three straight entering tonight’s home game against Assumption.

Still, Martha admits she’s her own worst critic, and both she and coach Kelley Frassinelli agree that she could be playing better right now.

“She is a hard worker, and she puts more pressure on herself than anybody else, even myself,” said Frassinelli, who also coaches the lacrosse team. “She is at this point where she’s not playing to her best ability. We’ve talked about it, and she knows it.”

It’s a lot of little things – being more of a scoring threat, being in position to dole out more assists – that have added up to Martha’s mini-slump, he said.

“She’s been playing well, but not to the standard where she could be at this point,” Frassinelli said. “But I think it will come. She will hit that point.”

Martha concurred.

“I wish I was doing a little better, I wish I was scoring better,” Martha said. “If I was, the team would be doing better as a whole. I’m pleased with how things are going, we’re in a good place right now. As an individual, I would like to step up to that challenge for the second half of the season.”

Martha’s goals are always team-oriented. She says the highlight of her career was a 5-0 win at American International College earlier this season, because five players scored in the game – and Martha wasn’t even one of them.

Of course, athletics is just a small part of Martha’s life. As president of the SAAC, she’s involved with a great deal of community service both on campus and in the local community.

“I come from a very fortunate background, a very healthy family, and I’ve been provided a lot of opportunities in life,” Martha said. “I feel it’s necessary to give back, even if it’s half of what I’ve received. I try to give back all I can to a lot of incredible causes.”

Martha starred in three sports – field hockey, indoor track and lacrosse – at Cheshire High and elected to go to Southern in large part because it was the only school at which she could play two sports. She’s not the only SCSU athlete who competes in both sports – juniors Kelly Anne McCafferty and Lauren Karn are also doing the Bo Jackson thing – but as captain of both squads, her schedule is the most grueling.

The lacrosse team runs four captain’s practices per week, and while Martha tries to get to all of them, there are some days – for instance, when the field hockey team has a game – when it’s impossible.

But it’s all a labor of love for Martha – and don’t ask her which sport she prefers.

“I really can’t decide between the two,” Martha said. “My passion has always been field hockey, I’ve done it longer and put that much more time in it. But lacrosse people tell me I’m much better at it. It’s fun for me, it’s effortless. I love both sports equally as much and can’t imagine giving up either.”