Renn named to PSAC East 2nd team

BLOOMSBURG - Line Mountain has a bit of a history for putting out top-notch field hockey players.

Everyone knows about Jill Martz, but the Eagles have another alum with a growing reputation on the field hockey field.

On Wednesday, Betsy Renn, a 2008 graduate from Line Mountain, was named to the second team, as a defender, All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East squad.

Renn, a sophomore, leads a defense that didn't allow a single shot in five separate games this season.

"It's a great accomplishment," Renn said. "I worked really hard in the offseason and during the summer, but I'm not going to let it go to my head. There are still little things I need to work on to get better."

Renn and the rest of her Bloomsburg teammates still have a little work to do to send retiring head coach Jan Hutchinson out on top with her 16th national championship.

The Huskies, with a 20-1 overall record, will play the winner of the Shippensburg/East Stroudsburg game in the NCAA Division II championship's semifinal game on Friday, Nov. 13 at WB Mason Stadium on the campus of Stonehill College in Easton, Mass.

During the regular season the Huskies beat Shippensburg once and East Stroudsburg twice, as well as Stonehill, another team in the championship bracket, but nothing is guaranteed in the playoffs.

The Huskies also know they're not invincible after an early season loss to Kutztown.

"That game was an eye opener, like, 'Hey, we really can lose,' and ever since we've been playing hard," Renn said.

"I think our chances are pretty good. We have to take it game by game, and the semifinal game will be tough because the other teams from the PSAC always give us a run for our money."

Renn's emergence as a key defender for the Huskies came after being recruited as a midfielder, and playing there for most of her freshman campaign. But a move to defense toward the end of last year gave Renn a new favorite position, although so far this season she's got off only three shots after scoring once on five shots last season.

"I came in as a midfielder, played there through most of last year and then toward the end of the season last year I was moved to center back," Renn said. "In the end-of-year meetings I told coach I really liked that position, and I've been back there since. It's not a typical defender position. Our whole team runs the field so it's not much of a change.

"I didn't at first," said Renn when asked if she minded her diminished offensive role. "Now, I miss scoring, but as long as there's people putting the ball in the goal in front of me, it's okay."

Hutchinson, who was also named the PSAC East coach of the year, is set to retire in August, leaving the nationally successful Huskies' program in someone else's hands for the first time in 32 seasons.

"When she told us we were disappointed," Renn said. "She's a legend in field hockey. But she did the recruiting for this season, she's going to coach camp and doesn't retire until August, so she set it up that all the new coach has to do that first year is come in and coach.

"Assistant coach Gary (Agard) will still be around, and knows what's expected of us, so it's not going to be much of a change."

Whoever the coach next year, they're sure to have a solid defender back, and as everyone knows, defense wins championships.

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