ANDOVER — It’s been almost two years since Maureen Noone was last on the sidelines. But her legacy more than lives on.
While the Hall of Fame field hockey coach – who captured five state championship titles, won 427 games and 18 MVC titles at Andover High – has spent a lot of her free time following up with her former players still competing in college.
Amazingly, 11 of her former stars are making their marks at the collegiate level for some high-end programs.
“Even after graduating three years ago, Coach Noone still follows each game we play, wishes us good luck before and is there to cheer us on in everyday life,” said Abby Miller.
The 11 former Warriors could actually form a very talented team:
— Forwards Hanna Medwar (Middlebury) and Mia Batchelder (William Smith)
— Midfielders Hailey Doherty (Assumption), Emma Reilly (Columbia), Lily Farnham and Kate Harris (Endicott); defenders Rose Memmolo (Colby), Miller (Wheaton), Anna Broderick (Wesleyan) and Ella Brockelman (Colby)
— Goalie: Paige Gillette (Assumption)
Miller was just named the NEWMAC Defensive Athlete of the Week, becoming the first non-goalie in school history to receive the accolade.
She became one of seven players in NCAA Division III this season to post three defensive stops in one game, coming against Endicott.
Miller said that a big part of her success is due to her former coach.
“Coach Noone is a fundamental part of who I am as a player today,” said Miller. “She drilled hard work, perseverance, determination and leadership into each one of us. She helped me develop leadership skills, finding my voice on the field and a fire to do my best each game.”
Brockelman is one of the key defenders on the Colby squad. She is playing alongside Memmolo, last year’s Eagle-Tribune Player of the Year.
“The lessons I learned throughout high school from Coach Noone including team first, hard work, and hustle led me to make the Colby College Field Hockey team as a first-year walk-on and now become a junior starter on defense,” said Brockelman.
During her senior year at AHS, Paige Gillette was named the Boston Globe’s Female Athlete of the Year, only to not play a single minute the next two years at Assumption. Noone told to remain focused and keep working at her craft.
Gillette was recently named the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II Defensive Player of the Week after leading her team to two victories over No. 6 West Chester and No. 2 East Stroudsburg. In those two games, she made 17 saves, while posting an 0.50 GAA and a .944 save percentage.
Medwar has had the most team and individual success among the 11 players. Since leaving AHS, she has been a part of three NCAA Division 3 National Championship teams. This year, Middlebury is 6-0, and she has three goals and three assists, giving her 17 goals and 8 assists in 59 games.
After last year’s championship title she said, “I have gotten so lucky. In high school, I had coach (Maureen) Noone who led our team to great successes and she created a unique environment which was successful which is actually pretty similar to my college team here.”
The other six players have all been contributors to their respective teams, mostly as midfielders and defenders and although they may not have goals and weekly awards, they all have that competitive edge, thanks to Coach Noone.
“During the off-seasons, many of us train together in the gym, run drills at the old Andover High field, and travel to Boston-area colleges for pick-up games,” said Brockelman. “And Coach Noone always checks in to make sure we are prepared for the next college season. It really is a special bond we all have with her.
“It is amazing to see how many skillful players came from AHS field hockey and thanks to the coaching staff we are lucky enough to continue our field hockey careers at the collegiate level.”
Twitter: @JamiePote