:10 Seconds with Nikki Garvey

Since I have been on campus, some teams on campus have been subpar teams. Some have been up-and-down, and others have been down-and-up. The field hockey team doesn’t fit any of those molds, as they have been extremely successful over the past few seasons. A big reason for the success of the team is Senior Captain Nicole Garvey (Canaan, N.H.), as she has been a dominant player in the Little East Conference for the Panthers over the last few years.

Going into the season, Garvey needed only 51 points to become the leading scorer in PSU Field Hockey history. Last season, Garvey scored 57 points (25 goals, 7 assists), and is off to a strong start in 2014 (9 goals, 4 assists). Needless to say, she is the #1 priority for all of her opponents when they play the Panthers.

It is obvious that Garvey is a hell of a player on the field, but she was named captain for her all-around ability, as she is constantly helping out her teammates while the game is going on. If the opponent has the ball on their offensive end, Garvey can be seen discussing various thoughts/ideas with her fellow forwards.    

1.How long have you been playing field hockey for?

I started playing field hockey in third grade.

2. How does the field hockey team look for the remainder of this year?

I think the team looks great for the remainder of the year. We really started to work together the last couple games and I see us continuing to do so for the rest of the season.

3.What is your most memorable moment in your field hockey career?

My most memorable moment in my overall field hockey career was playing in the National Field Hockey Festival. My most memorable moment in my Plymouth State Field Hockey career was last year as a junior when we beat Bridgewater at home and then away on their field. The intensity and motivation that I felt from the team was incredible. I will never forget those moments. 

4. Do you have any superstitions on game-day?

To be honest, I am not a superstitious person at all, I never have been.

5. What was your "Welcome to Plymouth" moment in field hockey?

My “Welcome to Plymouth” moment in field hockey was probably move in day my freshman year. Two upperclassmen showed up at my door the second I moved my stuff in, greeted me and offered me a ride to practice. From then on, the Plymouth State Field Hockey team was my family.

6. There are a number of underclassmen on this team. What are some things that the juniors and seniors have done this year (or the team as a whole) to make the underclassmen feel welcome? 

To me I don’t look at the team as underclassmen or upperclassmen. I mean yes, there are people who have been on the team for however many years, but they just offer experienced advice to those new players. As upperclassmen we do our best to make them feel comfortable and apart of our family.

7. Head Coach Bonnie Lord won her 200th game when your team beat Eastern Connecticut last week. How has she shaped you into the person you are today, both on and off the field?

Since day one, Coach has always believed in me, on and off the field, like she does with all her other players. The best part about a coach to me is if you feel comfortable going to them outside of field hockey for advice and I absolutely do.

8. Keene has been a tough game for you and your team over the past few years, including a 1-0 loss this season. What changes do you think your team needs to do in order to defeat them come LEC playoff time?

I think the team psyches themselves out every time we play Keene. I think coming in with the attitude that “Keene is scared to play PLYMOUTH” not the other way around will be a huge game changer for us.

9. How tough is it to have to change the way you play your game with the different game officials that you have almost every game?

A great player doesn’t worry about the officials or any other aspect of the game, except for playing. You have to be able to adapt and if you play your game then the officials or anything else won’t matter.

10. Coming into this season, you needed only 51 points to have the most points of anyone in PSU field hockey history. Have you been keeping track of this? What would it mean for you to achieve this goal?

Honestly, no. I am not one to keep track of personal points. I think it would be a great accomplishment if I do achieve this but every point I score in the game is to help my TEAM win so we can reach OUR goal.