Towson midfielder Britt Woodfield loves volunteering around campus. The junior is a member of Proud Athletes Who Serve, a group created to help improve the experience of student-athletes, and she?s also a mentor to freshmen.
But this spring, she?ll be around plenty of freshmen ? on and off the field. The Tigers, who are looking to erase memories of last year?s 6-9 season and contend for their second Colonial Athletic Association title in four seasons, will rely equally on the play of their veterans and nine freshmen.
“It?s good to help out younger athletes,” Woodfield, a former South Carroll standout, said. “I wish I would have had the mentor program, but it just started last year. It gives them a lot of insight, like signing up for classes and where stuff is.”
Woodfield, who finished with 19 goals and seven assists last season, will be counted on to provide leadership to her teammates. The 5-foot-3 Woodfield thrived in her role last year as a complementary player on offense and a shutdown defender, constantly marking the opposition?s best players.
Woodfield?s approach is why her coach and teammates know they made a good choice in choosing her as one of four captains.
“Brittany?s a kind of an under the radar player,” junior midfielder Hillary Fratzke, who led the team with 48 goals and 60 points last season, said. “She could score willingly if she wanted to and she?s willing to give up those goals and assists for the better play. She?s defensive-minded. Scoring isn?t the easiest thing in the world, but being able to stop a player one-on-one is one of the toughest things.”
Her coach agrees.
“She?s an overall athlete, so being so versatile she can play different spots during the game,” Towson coach Missy Doherty said. “When you are recruiting you are always trying to recruit players who will play right away, and she?s one who?s put the work in the classroom and on the field.”
The message Woodfield plans to share with her teammates is a simple one when the Tigers open their season on Feb. 23 at 4 p.m. against Mount St. Mary?s at Unitas Stadium: “Be fearless out there on the field. We just need to get after every ball and hustle.”
