Virginia's field hockey roster of 17 this season includes eight freshmen, most of whom are midfielders and forwards. Though the Cavaliers returned junior Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn and sophomore Traci Ragukas, who combined for 29 of the team's 53 goals in 2006, the team was in dire need of a third offensive threat who could take some of the pressure off the Cavs' two leading scorers.
Virginia has found just that in freshman Kaitlyn Hiltz. Though Sijpesteijn and Ragukas still lead Virginia in points with 18 and 17, respectively, Hiltz sits close behind them with 12. Even more pleasing to Virginia coach Michele Madison is Hiltz's ability to set her teammates up, as she is tied with Sijpesteijn and Ragukas for the team lead in assists (4).
"For the time she's on the field, she's really producing," Madison said. "I know she wants to score more, but we're trying to teach her to build up to it so that the goals will come later."
The freshman's ability to contribute so early in her career can be largely attributed to her athleticism and pure speed. Even at the college level, Hiltz can be seen cruising past opposing defenders down the sideline with the skill of a seasoned veteran.
"Kaitlyn in particular does have some athletic ability, and she has some good skills," Madison said. "When she puts it all together, she's going to be a force on the college hockey scene."
Although one doesn't normally think of a forward contributing to defense, Madison said Hiltz's most impressive quality may be how quickly she picked up Virginia's defensive scheme. The Cavaliers play a press defense that is not intuitive to a player coming out of high school, yet Hiltz has grasped it with surprising ease.
"That's where we get our attacking opportunities, off the press," Madison said. "That's what she picked up quick."
One advantage that Hiltz has playing with Virginia is the opportunity to play alongside Ragukas, a member of the National Rookie Squad in 2006. Not only does Ragukas take pressure off Hiltz by drawing so much attention from the opposition, she also is able to set up her fellow forward with goal-scoring opportunities.
"When she has the ball, I always know that I can make a run to get a pass from her," Hiltz said. "I know she's going to do everything she can to get the ball through and up the field to make the pass or to score."
Hiltz's résumé coming out of high school speaks volumes to her athletic abilities. In her senior year at Frank W. Cox High School in Virginia Beach, Hiltz was voted Eastern Region Player of the Year, Tidewater Player of the Year and State Player of the Year; led the nation in scoring with 50 goals, including scoring in 23 consecutive games; and she led the Lady Falcons to the state championship. All the while, however, Hiltz has remained level-headed about her achievements.
"I've never really seen myself as being the best," Hiltz said. "My dad used to always tell me that as soon as someone starts thinking they're the best, someone passes them."
In her junior year, Hiltz committed to playing with Virginia, following in the footsteps of her sister, Liz, who played field hockey at Virginia in 2005 and 2006.
"Hiltz's family is a great family," Madison said. "That was a good day in Cavalier hockey when Kaitlyn Hiltz committed."
As a result of her success in high school, one of the biggest adjustments for Hiltz at the college level has been not being the first option. Though Hiltz admits that playing under the radar has its advantages, she says that she thrives on the added pressure of being the go-to player.
"I almost like it when my coach comes up to me and tells me things that I have to do in the game, because otherwise I feel like, 'Oh, [Ragukas] or [Sijpesteijn] will do it,'" Hiltz said. "I try to put pressure on myself to do things so I will still be able to perform."
With all the skills Hiltz offers, she might just get the opportunity to experience that pressure with Virginia in the coming years.
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