Making the most of her opportunity

by Matthew Ondesko: Managing Editor

The college experience is different for every student-athlete. Some play a lot, some never see the field. It can be a trying to time for many, especially during freshman year.

That’s when reality sinks in. Everything you did in high school doesn’t mean a whole lot when you start college. You are just one of many that were recruited by the coach to help the team win.

Your skill set is just as good as the next person that was recruited at your position. What separates you from the other 20, or so on the team, is your work ethic.

As Slippery Rock sophomore Lacey Berghorn entered her first year she didn’t know what to expect. She knew coming in as a freshman that she wouldn’t see the field much - even though she had a great field hockey career at Akron.

But, that wasn’t the case. Berghorn saw action in 12 games, and even started seven for Slippery, as she was thrusted into game action right away. Playing so early meant stepping out of her comfort zone.

“Coming into college I was not expecting to really see the field as much as I did, but it allowed me to gain a plethora of knowledge and I was forced to step up so early on in my career. Being put in a new position was a big learning curve for me, but as I said previously, I was put in a position that required me to step up and go out of my comfort zone,” stated Berghorn. “When it comes to college athletics, it’s important to not see class because it allows the underclassman to learn field awareness and how to become better leaders in the beginning of their college careers.”

Berghorn came into college with a lot on her resume. Sometimes having so much success in high school brings on added pressure when coming into college. Others see what type of player you are, and you are expected to live up to the hype.

Berghorn will admit she felt some pressure when entering college last year. She also will admit that college is a completely different animal than high school. What she did in high school was great. It helped her earn a chance to play at the next level.

But, she also knows, she needs to perform at this level. High School was high school. Now, Berghorn needs to raise her game even more if she wants to continue on the upward directory.

“I definitely felt a lot of pressure coming into college with so much success in high school, but I tried to not let it affect me negatively,” stated Berghorn. “College is a completely different ball game, and you can’t use what you did in high school as a comparison. The accolades you get in high school mean nothing when you get to college, you’re essentially starting over and must earn every minute you play.”

With a year under her belt, Berghorn can now hit the ground running this season. Last season there was the unknown of everything, especially being a freshman. Now, she knows what to expect from herself heading into her sophomore year.

The year experience helped her tremendously. It helped her learn the speed of the college game, and what she needed to work on in the offseason to become the player that she wants to be.

“Coming into my sophomore season, I definitely know there are expectations set for me after having a year under my belt. These expectations motivate me to keep striving to be the best I can be on and off the field,” stated Berghorn. “Coming into this season, I feel like I can start with more confidence than I did my freshman season, but that does not mean I am comfortable in any way. Our coaches teach us that we should never be comfortable with how we play and should always be striving to be better, so that is what I will continue to do with the better knowledge I have of the game.”

The one thing Berghorn had to get used to was not being the scorer she was in high school. In high school, Berghorn once scored seven goals in a game, which is insane in field hockey. But, when she got to Slippery Rock there as a new position waiting for her.

Gone were the goal opportunities as she was learning a new position. While the switch was frustrating at times, Berghorn attacked the change with hard work - like she does with everything else.

“Going from scoring tons of goals on the forward line to being on defense was a huge adjustment for me and was frustrating at times,” stated Berghorn. “But, as much as my hard work doesn’t get reflected on the score sheets, being put in such a huge role was my coach’s way of rewarding me.”

Berghorn also gets to do all this while playing with a plethora of Western New York talent. Slippery Rock is loaded with a lot of young ladies from the Western New York area - as field hockey continues to become a big player in the area.

All the girls that are on the team, from WNY, have mostly played club together throughout their careers. This helped Berghorn settle in more as she was making the transition from high school to college.

“The WNY group we have on this team all played together in club. Being able to play with people I’ve known throughout my entire club career provided me with some comfort knowing I had support before I even showed up,” stated Berghorn. “It was like we never stopped playing together and they know how to push me in the ways I need and vice versa.”