Eastlake High School field hockey coach Robert Blas may not have the strongest team in San Diego County, but the Titans have to be among the most versatile and athletic. Nearly everybody on the team plays at least one other sport and some of them excel at several.
A year ago, Eastlake finished in the middle of the pack in the Metro Conference standings, but hopes to move up the ladder this year. Leading the way for the Titans is their quartet of senior captains: Viviana Wilkins, Asseret Frausto, Alexandra Ortega and Stephanie Manriquez.
“Viviana was a second team all-league player a year ago,” Blas said. “This year switching off between midfield and forward she has already scored three goals (in five games). Sophomore Yvonne Apodaca, a junior varsity player a year ago, has also impressed us.”
Wilkins and Apodaca are joined by Frausto on what looks to be a solid attack line.
Both Wilkins and Frausto will also see some time in the midfield.
Soccer star Sarah Sedillo was coaxed onto the field hockey team this year and the stamina that she has built on the soccer pitch has come in handy on this team as well. Sedillo, who plays lacrosse and runs cross country, will operate as a flank midfielder. Alexandra Ortega will handle the opposite flank of the midfield. Alexandra Mallory and Alexis Esparza will log plenty of midfield minutes as well.
On defense, Blas will call upon Manriquez, his senior captain, to keep things organized. She is joined by basketball star Andrea Umali, Sophia Fry, who plays both soccer and lacrosse, Fry’s teammate on the soccer team, Tori Parra, and returning starter Jenevi Sturdivant.
Sophomore Sahar Aminzai is in the net for the Titans. She is a newcomer and very eager to learn according to Blas.
For years, Hilltop has been the dominant power in South Bay girls field hockey. Knowing this, Blas was delighted when former Hilltop star Erica Hernandez decided to join on as an assistant coach. Julian Hernandez serves in the same capacity. They are pleased with what they have seen so far.
“So far, so good,” Blas said of the Titans’ 3-2-1 start in non-league play. “We are starting off on a good note. I think that we are disciplined and that we do the fundamentals and little things well. We also have good teamwork. Now we need to get some team chemistry going and work on our conditioning.”
Blas is fortunate to have so many players with so much experience playing various sports. Many of them have arrived in pretty good shape due to their prior conditioning and there is a lot of transfer between sports like soccer, lacrosse and field hockey. It has all the makings of a very successful year.
Eastlake faces off league play Oct. 11 at Bonita Vista.
