Rhode Island field hockey player Jess Arnold used to play basketball. So did her younger sister Amanda. She used to play softball, too -and so did Amanda.
Lucky for the Ohio field hockey program, Jess also picked up a field hockey stick.
Growing up in Oceanport, N.J., Amanda wanted to be exactly like her big sister. You might say, she still does.
The elder Arnold, a senior, is preparing for her second year as captain of the Rams' field hockey squad, while Amanda is set to become a top contributor to the Ohio field hockey program during her sophomore season this fall.
She's the whole reason I ended up playing hockey
Amanda said. When I was little I wanted to be just like her. She picked up basketball I picked up basketball. She played softball
I played softball. All I wanted to do was be just like her.
Amanda said she looked up to her sister, as well as her Bobcat teammates, to learn the ropes of collegiate field hockey during her freshman season. As the end of her freshman year turns into the beginning of her sophomore year, Amanda is ready to use what she has learned and put it to use at Peggy Pruitt Field.
She has a lot of talent
Ohio coach Shelly Morris said. We were able to use some of that in the fall
but she just needed to get settled a little bit.
Amanda saw action in 10 of Ohio's 21 games last fall. In the upcoming season, Morris said she expects the back to make an impact.
After the fall was over and we started playing in the spring again
I think she kind of came out of her shell
gained ownership of her position and really started to flourish by the end of the spring season
she said.
Amanda said she benefited from being able to observe the veteran-laden Bobcat squad from the sidelines when she was not in the game.
I think it helped being able to watch people who knew more and were more experienced in the position then mimic what they were doing and learn from their mistakes
she said.
From watching in the fall to taking over her position in the spring, Amanda's teammates have seen improvements already.
Overall
she's really improved
