Gilroy’s field hockey team wasn’t done after losing a heartbreaker to Archbishop Mitty in the Central Coast Section semifinals Nov. 13.
The Gilroy Field Hockey Club Infinity took its 19-and-under team to West Palm Beach, Fla., over Thanksgiving and returned with some hardware. The club won the 2012 National Field Hockey Festival title by outscoring its foes by a combined score of 29-1.
The National Festival is the largest field hockey tournament in the world, where more than 3,500 athletes from 196 teams compete for fun and hopes of landing a spot on a college roster.
According to the Gilroy club, seven of the team’s nine seniors already are slated to play in college.
“It’s really exciting and rewarding to see that players from Gilroy, if they have the desire, can get a great education and play field hockey in college,” coach Adam Gemar said.
Some Gilroy High School field hockey players had committed to playing hockey in college before the festival. Others received offers from college coaches at the festival itself following the final game. NCAA rules allow coaches to speak directly with athletes at that time.
“Not only is it exciting to see the seniors being actively recruited, but it allows college coaches to see our top-notch underclass athletes compete as well,” Gemar said.
