Feller Stepping Up For Villanova Field Hockey

Celise Feller waited her turn at Villanova last season. The native doesn’t have to sit on the sidelines this fall.

Feller is a forward for the field hockey team at the Main Line school.  She arrived at Villanova in 2010 and appeared in only two games as a freshman. With the Wildcats counting on a young nucleus this season, Feller is getting the chance to play on a regular basis.

“It was actually really exciting,” said Feller. “We have a lot of freshmen. We lost a lot of players, so it’s a whole different feel from last year. I knew I would get more playing time this year. It’s really exciting.”

Feller and the Wildcats are off to a 2-2 start on the young season.  While Feller is coming off the bench, she has increased playing time this fall. With so many new faces and players such as Feller adjusting to new roles, the Wildcats are still learning on the fly in the early part of the season.

“We’re all trying to figure out how we’ll work together,” Feller said.  “There are a lot of new people and a lot of us hadn’t played together.  I think we’re adjusted to that now.”

Feller attended Plumstead Christian School during her high school days. While it was a smaller setting than a public school, the limited student body did have its advantages concerning field hockey.  However, it also took Feller longer to catch the eye of the college scouts.

“The one thing that was good about that school was that it was small,” said Feller. “I started my freshmen year, so I had four years of playing time. I got a lot of experience for that. The detriment was I wasn’t plugged into the whole field hockey world.”

When Feller had the chance to attend Villanova, it was an opportunity she simply couldn’t pass up. The combination of field hockey and academics along with the ability to remain in the area has worked out perfectly for Feller.

“I loved the location of Villanova,” Feller said. “I loved being close to home. It just seemed right.”

Villanova has a difficult schedule competing in the Big East. Last fall, the Wildcats went 7-10 overall and 2-4 in conference play. The 2011 schedule is equally challenging, but Feller says she doesn’t mind going against some of the top teams in the nation.

“We look at the schedule at the beginning,” said Feller. “We know what we expect going in. It sets the right mindset and gives us the extra energy for harder games. They’re all going to be challenging since they are all Division I schools, but we have a very good team this year.”

Feller is doing her part to help the newcomers settle in on and off the field. She went through the adjustment period as a freshman a year ago, and with so many young players on the 2011 Wildcats, Feller knew it would take time for everyone to settle into their roles.

“We have some very strong freshmen forwards who came in,” Feller said. "We all seem to be pretty much on the same page as far as what we are doing. I think we’re playing well together, and we have a good thing going.”

Feller is ready for the challenge of her new role. She is embracing the opportunity to be part of a nucleus that is expected to take the program to the next level.

“It does give us a chance to be involved,” said Feller. “I feel it strengthens the team continuity. We’re all kind of in this together.”