Women's Field Hockey Team experiences local outdoor art (undated)

If you think only men's sports are hard and rough, you had better get that idea out of your head. At the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, there are a handful of alumni women who know what it is like to play a physical contact sport, which also requires endurance. The sport is field hockey, a game played by the Persians, refined in 1875 by the English, and introduced to North America in 1901 by Constance Applebee.

The game is similar to ice hockey whereby 11 players from one team attempt to hit a hard, rubber ball across a field 100 yards long by 60 yards wide and into the net of the opposition. The ball's path during the scoring drive is controlled by sticks resembling thick upside-down walking canes. It would be an easy feat were it not for the 11 defenders who try to simultaneously change the direction of the ball to start an offense of their own. The 11 players for each team consist of one goalie, four forwards (wingers), two midfielders (link players), three wing halfbacks (thrusters), and a fullback (sweeper).

What makes the game so brutal at times are the flying sticks, the hard, rubber ball, and the fact that the game is played in the same conditions that the mailmen make their rounds or during rain, sleet, slow, and ice. To compound matters, there are 35 minutes halves. No timeouts are allowed, and the intermission is only five minutes long. The only breaks in play (you would hardly call them lengthy breathers) come when the ball is knocked out of bounds, a foul is committed, or a goal is scored.

Field hockey is one of the oldest women's sports at UWO; Miss Shepardson introduced it in 1906 at Combination Park. Due to the expensive equipment, field hockey had minimal play. Not until 1920 did field hockey start to pick up again, it was played as an interest group (much like intramurals). Interest groups played on and off during the years until the early 1960s when "Rusty" Coogan coached. Deloris Dudek coached in 1967. Then Coach Helen Briwa (originally from the east, the "hotbed" of field hockey) made women's field hockey a competitive intercollegiate sport in 1968. From 1968 to 1979, College North Field Hockey Association (CNFHA) was the conference they played in which consisted of twelve teams. Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WWIAC) was the conference from 1980 to 1982. Coach Briwa retired coaching in 1982. Women's field hockey only lasted one more year as a club sport in 1983.

  • WWIAC consisted of UW Green Bay, UW Milwaukee, UW Madison, UW Whitewater, UW Stevens Point, UW River Falls, UW Platteville, UW La Crosse, and UW Oshkosh

  • CNFHA consisted of Northern Michigan University, Bemidji State College, Carleton College, Concordia College, Moorhead State College, University of Minnesota, UW River Falls, UW Green Bay, UW Stevens Point, University of North Dakota, South Dakota State University, and UW Oshkosh

  • Darla Deville was named to the WWIAC All-Conference team in 1982

  • Danielle Bauer, from Redgranite, was named to the College North Central field hockey team as a freshman

  • In 1973, Linda Hobbs and Janet Mueller selected to nationals

Field hockey players repair their net before a game (undated).
  • In 1975 Faye Salisbury and Claudia Kelm selected to nationals

  • In 1976, Faye Salisbury, Ellen Krabbe, and Sharon Butz selected to nationals

  • In 1980, first ever women's Olympic Field Hockey games in Moscow

  • In 1982, placed 4th in WWIAC tournament

  • Field hockey traditions: before start of game opposite team players tap their club once and then the ground three times, at half time the home team would have to supply oranges, and at the end of each match the players would chant "hooray hockey, thanks officials"

  • Team colors gold and black

  • Field hockey was a required course for all Physical Education Majors

Women's Field Hockey Records From 1968 to 1982:

1968 not found 1973 5-1-3 1978 3-9-4
1969 not found 1974 7-4-2 1979 7-1-1
1970 not found 1975 3-8-2 1980 3-6
1971 7-3-2 1976 11-4-1 1981 3-11
1972 4-2-2 1977 4-4-5 1982 4-5

How The College North Field Hockey Association Worked:

1. The regular season conference was played (September to November).

2. CNFHA had a conference tournament, each team playing three games (2 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday). As these matches were played, representatives (picked by the coaches) from each team would nominate the better players (field hockey is a team sport, but only individuals can reach new levels). Players selected would become either College North All-Star team one or team two.

3. College North All-Star team one played team two on Sunday. Representatives would nominate the better player to from one College North All-Star team.

4. College North All-Star team would go to Midwest Section where they would compete against a club hockey team. Best players selected into one team.

5. Finally this team went to sectionals, then nationals (highest an individual can reach in this country) over Thanksgiving weekend.

References

Advanced Titan. (1968-1982).

Briwa, Helen. (1999, February & March). Personal Interview.

Quiver. (1906-1974).