This year, the Blair field hockey program has a new leader at the helm in Pamela Schulman, a former two-sport college athlete who helped lead the Middlebury College field hockey team to a national championship in 2015. She was also named to the Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches Division III All-American team.
Coach Schulman grew up playing both ice hockey and field hockey. Even though she originally focused on pursuing ice hockey in college, her talents in field hockey impressed college coaches. “I was fortunate that college field hockey coaches felt that I could play at the next level,” said Coach Schulman. “At Middlebury, I was able to play four years of field hockey and two years of ice hockey. It was an amazing experience for which I am very grateful.”
During her time on the field hockey team, Middlebury continued to improve in the national tournament. Her freshman year, they made the elite eight. Sophomore year, they made the final four. In 2015, Middlebury defeated their rival Bowdoin College 1-0 to secure the Division III National Championship.
“It was a huge highlight of my sports career,” said Coach Schulman. “The best thing about that team was that we didn’t depend fully on one player. Everyone brought value and contributed, game in and game out.”
Coach Schulman looks to bring that “team first” mentality to the Bucs. Blair has had a lot of success the past few years, making it to the NJISAA prep “A” state finals three years in a row. Last year, the team was recognized by MAX Field Hockey as one of the top teams in the country.
With interscholastic competitions canceled in the fall, this year will look different for Blair field hockey. However, Coach Schulman is enthusiastic about the program, and she and the team will persevere through all obstacles.
“This is an unprecedented time for this program and this School,” said Coach Schulman. “But no matter what, Blair field hockey will remain dedicated to being the best we can be for one another, as players and as people. . Our goals are to grow as a team and as individuals while creating a memorable and engaging experience that the players can look back on and be proud of.”