Heading into her fourth year as a member of the NIU field hockey team, 21-year-old Mary Fike looks to help the Huskies to a successful season.

As a center-halfback, Fike’s position is a demanding one, involving a lot of running and the responsibility of clearing the ball and connecting with one of the forwards up the field.

“She really gets our transition play going and is really the rock of the midfield,” coach Laurie Bell said. Bell added that Fike is the player who “sparks the team and is constantly around the ball.”

Fike is used to moving around on the field as well as from state to state. The daughter of a Navy officer, Fike has moved from New Mexico to Virginia to Newport Beach, Calif., to Japan to San Diego and finally, in seventh grade, back to Virginia Beach.

“I really love the East Coast,” Fike said. “It’s where I first started playing field hockey.”

After playing softball at Frank Cox high school in Virginia, Fike was approached by the school’s hockey coach Nancy Fawlkes and entered the world of hockey in the ninth grade.

During Fike’s sophomore year, Cox H.S. claimed the state hockey title, highlighting her career in the sport. “We really had a lot of fun and worked very well together,” Fike said. “We were very close.”

As for this year’s team, Fike is confident. With a 5-2 overall record, the team has had to face more experienced opponents.

“Our team is still quite young,” she said. “We play teams with a lot of experience, and with just five seniors on the team it becomes a little tougher.”

But the team has responded by holding nationally ranked Iowa to just three goals, none of which were scored in the second half. “We are good this year. After spending all of last year together, we do have some experience,” Fike said.

However, she predicts next season will be an “excellent year because we will only be losing five players and they should have quite a bit of experience.”

For the most part, Fike has been a defensive player and is not responsible for scoring goals. Her main objective is to knock the ball into enemy territory, setting up the breakaways and making sure the ball does not pass her. “If I let the ball get by, there is only the sweeper and goalie left,” Fike said.

But when it comes to the goalie, the Huskies do have an edge in senior Colleen Preston. Preston, an All-America candidate, saved 12 shots on goal against Northwestern this year. The Huskies fell 3-0, but once again held a nationally ranked NU team to just three goals.

Bell said the team is most dominant in controlling the ball, and much of that credit belongs to Fike. “Because of her outstanding play we dominate and always seem to be on the attack for most of the game,” Bell said.

That dominating play carried through to last weekend when, during their current four-game winning streak, the Huskies scored 15 goals, allowing the opposition just one.

Fike hopes to persue a career in advertising after majoring in communications at NIU. “I would like to move back to the East Coast and make a lot of money,” Fike said.

“She is a gutsy athlete and has a tough mental attitude,” Bell said. “She’s the kind of athlete all coaches would like.”

Fike sees her role on the team as one of an informer. She looks to help new members of the team in learning their respective positions. “I encourage everyone to do their best at whatever position they play,” she said. “I will also tell them what they need to improve on.”

Among the many advantages of hockey, Fike said meeting new people and making new friends leads the way. “I have met all of my friends through field hockey and two of my roommates are also my teammates,” she said.

Bell is also impressed with the offensive performance of Jady Psek. “She sparks the team when we really need it, and she is very consistent,” Bell said. Leading the team in scoring is Anne Marie Rozendahl with seven goals, followed by freshman Laura Wehrman with 5 goals. “She is our scrappy player and does a good job of getting the ball in the goal after it rebounds off the pads of the goalie,” Bell added.

NIU faces off tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. in Huskie stadium against Southern Illinois.