BEARING DOWN: Emma Quigley goes after the ball in action last fall during her freshman season for the Brown University field hockey team. Former Princeton Day School star Quigley made 12 appearances and scored a goal in her debut campaign for the Bears. Next week, she starts preseason practice for her sophomore season. (Photo Courtesy of Brown’s Office of Athletic Communications)

When Emma Quigley began the recruiting process for college field hockey, one school jumped to the top of her list.

“I started sophomore year, looking at and researching schools,” said Quigley, a former Princeton Day School standout who recorded 44 goals and 20 assists in her career with the Panthers, earning All-Prep and All-County honors.

“I loved Brown from the start. I thought it was a bit of a reach academically because it is such a great school. I e-mailed the coach as a sophomore. My dad went to grad school there. I loved the campus.”

With some support from PDS head coach Tracey Arndt, Quigley ended up finding a spot at Brown.

“Jill (Brown head coach Jill Reeve) knew Tracey from Penn State and the U.S. national team,” said Quigley. “She was amazing helping me, sending Jill e-mails.”

Last fall, Quigley enjoyed a solid freshman campaign for the Bears, appearing in 12 games at forward and scoring a goal.

Next week, Quigley will start her second preseason camp, steeled by what she learned last summer.

“It was hard, any college freshman is nervous going in and playing a sport is even more pressure,” said Quigley.

“It was such a higher level than anything I had played, it was definitely an adjustment.”

Hitting the field in the season opener last September against Bryant, the 5’3 Quigley was a bundle of nerves.

“I was totally stressed and overwhelmed,” said Quigley. “I was also really excited to start my college career. I had worked so hard in school and in club to get to that point.”

Quigley learned that she had to work faster on the field at the college level. “You have three or four seconds to react, the game is so much faster,” said Quigley.

“You have to make decisions much quicker, every second counts with dodging and reacting. It is about getting quicker touches and playing the ball quicker.”

One of Quigley’s most memorable touches last fall came when she scored a goal against Lehigh in a 4-2 win in mid-October.

“That ball started out on top of circle and I got a tip,” recalled Quigley. “I was in the right spot at the right time. It was great. As a freshman, I got a lot of playing time but it was good to have a goal. It gives you confidence.”

Another good moment for Quigley took place a week after the Lehigh game when she came home to play against Princeton University at Bedford Field.

“I had played there in my junior year at PDS in the junior premier outdoor league so it was familiar,” said Quigley.

“In high school, I looked up to all those college girls playing on the field and now I was a D-1 athlete competing against them.”

While Brown had an uneven season in 2014, going 9-8 overall and 1-6 in Ivy League play, Quigley believes things are looking up for the program.

“We looked at it as a building season, it is a stepping stone for this year,” said Quigley. “We learned a lot.”

As for her play individually, Quigley learned a lot last fall. “I think I improved in ball speed, stick skills, and overall understanding of the game and what Jill wants us to do,” said Quigley.

This spring, the Bears showed improvement collectively. “We had two weekend tournaments, the first one was not so great but the second one was awesome,” said Quigley.  “We played together really well; it was awesome to be playing games after weeks of practice.”

With preseason practice starting on August 20, Quigley has been focusing on skills and conditioning.

“I have been doing the workout packet and playing pickup games twice a week at PDS,” said Quigley.

“I am working out, doing running, sprints, and weight lifting. We have workout groups with three other girls on the team and we talk about our workouts. It is a way of staying together in the summer. The coach wants us in shape so we can work on field hockey right away and not have to worry about conditioning.”

As she looks ahead to her sophomore season, Quigley is looking to do more on the field.

“I want to make an impact on the team and solidify my role,” said Quigley. “I want to justify being recruited.”

No matter how the fall turns out Quigley knows that she made the right decision in the recruiting process.

“It has been amazing, Brown is the perfect place for me,” said Quigley, who is studying in the C.V. Starr Program in Business, Entrepreneurship and Organizations (BEO). “It is hard academically but if you put in the work you can do well.”