MAY DAY: Stuart Country Day School field hockey Maya Dev dribbles the ball in recent action. Senior co-captain Dev has helped lead the Stuart back line as the Tartans have gotten off to a promising 4-3 start. Stuart will be playing at the Hun School on October 1. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Maya Dev is paying forward some support she received as an underclassman in taking a leading role on the back line for the Stuart Country Day School field hockey team this fall in her senior campaign.

“The seniors that I had when I was a freshman and a sophomore were good at communicating,” said co-captain Dev. “That is something I want to be for the team. When I was a freshman, I was playing on defense and I wasn’t really sure where to go. Having someone there to help guide you is really important. It helps you behold your confidence because you know that there is someone there to help you.”

Last Friday, Dev helped guide the Stuart backline as it battled Bordentown hard in a 1-0 defeat in moving to 4-3.

“I think that we played really well, we played really good as a team,” said Dev. “We do have a couple of beginners on defense. I think the most important thing is communication.”

The Tartan defense was under the gun as Bordentown controlled possession for much of the contest.

“Today we played a lot on the defensive side, it goes by really fast,” said Dev. “You are definitely not bored, it is a little bit nerve-wracking. But once you have a lot of the trust built up with your teammates, it makes you a lot more confident that if you don’t get it maybe your teammate will get it.”

Dev has built up a lot of trust with fellow defenders senior Annarose Bourgion St. Maurice, junior Abby Chirik, and junior Jada Hutchison.

“They are really great, it is just having confidence in your team and knowing they have your back,” said Dev. “Jada has been really good at getting it up the side. Annarose and Abby are both really good at just working off of each other. I think that is what we do best, especially up the sideline. We have been doing a lot this year, working with each other and just really being there for each other.”

In goal, senior Emily Harlan was there for the Tartans as she made five saves against Bordentown.

“Emily is really great at talking,” said Dev. “There are some times where there is something I don’t see and she is really great about pointing it out. We need a lot of communication on defense, she is really good about that. Just having her as the last line of defense, it makes you feel so much better about what you are doing.”

With Stuart getting off to a hot start this season, winning its first four games, the squad feels good about its prospects.

“I think in the beginning of the season, we got a couple of wins and that really helped us a lot with our confidence,” said Dev. “I think because of those wins, we know we have the power to do it. It is just all about the execution.”

Stuart head coach Missy Bruvik likes the way her defense has concentrated on execution.

“What I love about the defense is they asked if we can work on marking, can we keep doing this and I said absolutely,” said Bruvik. “We actually focused on that yesterday with just tighter marking and a lot of one-v-one work in the circle and built on it.”

Bruvik credits Dev with setting the tone on the back line.

“Maya always wants to do what she needs to do to help the team,” said Bruvik. “She will work as hard as you need her to get better so she can be better for her teammates. There is no easy way out, it is ‘what else can I do?’ For four years, you can’t ask for more.”

The Tartans have been getting some very good work from goalie Harlan, who has recorded four shutouts and yielded only five goals in the first seven games of the season.

“Emily is having a great year, she makes key saves,” said Bruvik. “When you see the other team getting off really solid shots. Emily is right there.”

In the loss to Bordentown, the Tartan offense sputtered, not getting enough possession in the circle.

“We were just talking about how we can move the ball more efficiently from that backfield and just switching fields,” said Bruvik. “We had opportunities on those corners in the third quarter, it is just finishing. I was pleased with the progress throughout the game. I thought in the third quarter we made a lot of good runs but again we just have to be more efficient. It is how we get it off the team’s strong side and just be a little more courageous to make that switch and go for it.”

The trio of junior Sydney Anderson, junior Nana Akua Ken-Kwofie, and senior Nyla Flamer has generated opportunities on attack.

“Sydney and Nana are starting to work better together,” said Bruvik. “We have pushed Nyla up. We had her starting at center mid, now we need her to ball carry. That is the goal. We pushed her up but she also plays a little defense.”

With Stuart playing at the Hun School on October 1, Bruvik believes her squad is in a good place.

“Overall, despite the score today, I think we have improved as a team,” said Bruvik, whose team had a total for five wins last season. “We have played seven games and we are in every game. We are a balance of new players with a little more experienced players.”

Dev, for her part, believes that Stuart can compete with everyone on its schedule.

“I think going forward it is having confidence in the fact that we can do it,” said Dev. “We held up really well on defense. I think in the future that will help us a lot. Working on offense, we know what we need to do and we know what we can do. It is just taking that extra step.”