2008 Woodie Awards
Pizzi a veteran leader on and off the field
Anthony Calabro '08
Issue date: 9/19/07 Section: Sports
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Field hockey forward Marisa Pizzi, '08, is the Hawks top returning scorer from last year. As a sophomore, Pizzi started 12 times and played in all 20 games for the Hawks. She tallied eight goals and two assists for a total of 18 points last season.
However, she would never tell you any of this, mainly because she doesn't keep track of how many points she had last year. The number of goals she scores means nothing compared to the number of wins the Hawks have this season. Pizzi has a natural sense of leadership that is a breath of fresh air.
Whenever the conversation gets to her, she brings it right back to the team. When asked if she had a certain number of goals she would like to score for the upcoming season, Pizzi shrugs it off.
"An assist is just as good as a goal," she said. "A point is a point. I don't care if I score or one of my teammates scores, as long as we win. That's what matters most."
Pizzi's goals are not individual, rather they are for the squad as a whole: They want to get to the Atlantic-10 Championships and win. The team nearly met those goals last season but fell just short, losing to the Richmond Spiders 3-2 in the championship game in Richmond. However, Pizzi knows this year has the potential to be much different from last.
"What's great about this year is that the whole tournament is in Philadelphia," she said. "Last year it was in Richmond. It's going to be great to play in front of the fans, family, and friends. It would be great to win in front of everyone."
Richmond is a game that is certainly circled on the Hawks calendar this season.
"Richmond is a great team," she continued. "They win the A-10 almost every year, but I feel like this year we have a real shot at winning. Our team is very versatile, from our starters to our bench. We can bring someone in from the bench and not miss a step."
In preparation for a season where she knew her playing time would increase, Pizzi worked out at the Fieldhouse and her home in nearby Rosemont. She's gone from seeing sporadic playing time as a freshman to being an integral part of a team looking to make some noise in the A-10 this season.
However, she would never tell you any of this, mainly because she doesn't keep track of how many points she had last year. The number of goals she scores means nothing compared to the number of wins the Hawks have this season. Pizzi has a natural sense of leadership that is a breath of fresh air.
Whenever the conversation gets to her, she brings it right back to the team. When asked if she had a certain number of goals she would like to score for the upcoming season, Pizzi shrugs it off.
"An assist is just as good as a goal," she said. "A point is a point. I don't care if I score or one of my teammates scores, as long as we win. That's what matters most."
Pizzi's goals are not individual, rather they are for the squad as a whole: They want to get to the Atlantic-10 Championships and win. The team nearly met those goals last season but fell just short, losing to the Richmond Spiders 3-2 in the championship game in Richmond. However, Pizzi knows this year has the potential to be much different from last.
"What's great about this year is that the whole tournament is in Philadelphia," she said. "Last year it was in Richmond. It's going to be great to play in front of the fans, family, and friends. It would be great to win in front of everyone."
Richmond is a game that is certainly circled on the Hawks calendar this season.
"Richmond is a great team," she continued. "They win the A-10 almost every year, but I feel like this year we have a real shot at winning. Our team is very versatile, from our starters to our bench. We can bring someone in from the bench and not miss a step."
In preparation for a season where she knew her playing time would increase, Pizzi worked out at the Fieldhouse and her home in nearby Rosemont. She's gone from seeing sporadic playing time as a freshman to being an integral part of a team looking to make some noise in the A-10 this season.
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