Milford High School’s varsity field hockey team may have barely missed on making the state tournament this season, but opposing coaches noticed the amount of talent on the Bucs’ roster.

Besides senior Avonda Cannon (see page 25A) and junior Sara Kolobielski (see page 24A), Milford had six other players named all-conference this season.

“I’m very pleased and honored,” head coach Amanda Jacona said. “I’m very happy for all of them.”

Offensive all-conference

Milford’s offense scored 32 goals this season, and 68 percent of the goals scored were by juniors Nikki Parsley and Jenna Maloney.

Both players were named First Team All-Henlopen Conference for offense. It is Parsley’s second-straight first team selection, and Maloney’s first all-conference honor of any kind.

“We definitely worked well together,” Parsley said. “We had some really good passing sequences.”

Parsley moved to the forward line this year after playing midfield last season. She said it took a little getting used to.

“Your body positioning at the forward line and at midfield is really different,” Parsley said. “I was really comfortable after we got a few games into the season.”

Parsley and Maloney have played with each other for several years now, and have also played indoor hockey together. That helped when they took the field together as Milford’s offensive threats.

“It just seemed like she was always where I needed her to be,” Maloney said. “And we talked a lot.”

“We kind of read each other,” Parsley said.

Jacona was pleasantly surprised to see Maloney step into a big role on the team this year.

“I think her aggressiveness was more,” Jacona said. “Her games sense was better this year, she was visualizing things and reading defenses really well.

“She’s so sweet and so nice that it’s kind of hard to see that other side of somebody, but she came out and was ready to go.”

Besides leading the team with 15 goals, Parsley also led the Bucs with seven assists. Meanwhile, Maloney had seven goals and one assist.

“You always hope your offensive line will do whatever it takes to get that ball in the cage,” Jacona said. “As long as they work well together, nobody can stop them.”

Parsley didn’t score as much this season as she did last year while playing midfield. However, she was almost always involved in every offensive play in some form.

“Obviously she’s doing something right,” Jacona said. “(Opposing coaches) see her, she’s always up front, she’s often double teamed, so they know what she’s capable of.”



Defensive all-conference

For senior Beth Swadley and junior Marcy McKee, the 2008 season can kind of be seen as a changing of the guard.

Swadley was depended on as Milford’s lead defender, floating from the midfield line back into the defensive third of the field to help on defense, while McKee, a second-year varsity player, anchored Milford’s defensive line that featured junior Jenna Rathfon, who played her most varsity minutes this season, and sophomore Brianna Walls.

And both were named all-conference. Swadley received first team honors, while McKee was named to the second team.

Next season, Jacona sees McKee taking over Swadley’s position.

“She’ll definitely be back there (on defense),” Jacona said. “She has great insight, she’s a visionary, and she was a leader for Jenna Rathfon and Brianna Walls.

“I see her stepping into some big shoes.”

Jacona said McKee did an excellent job crashing the cage and making sure to support the goalkeeper.

“Marcy’s had at least 20 saves from the cage,” Jacona said. “Defense is a very hard position to play, because they never get credit for what they do.”

McKee enjoyed her position on defense, and was excited about being named all-conference.

“I was just hoping to get Honorable Mention,” McKee said. “I like that I’m in the middle. It’s easier to see the field and to guide the backs on where to go.”

Since she had the most varsity experience on defense, McKee said she felt she had to be a team leader. Next year, she’s hoping to take a bigger role.

“I want to improve my leadership skills, and (communicate) more,” McKee said.

Swadley was a sure-stick player that Jacona knew she could count on at any position on the field. Her demeanor and play was a reason why she was the first player to be named a team captain.

“Beth has just been almost a godsend this year,” Jacona said. “Everything I needed she could do.

“Every day she was at practice, every game she was ready to go and every day she gave 100 percent.”

Those qualities extended beyond Swadley’s own play, as she helped lead the Bucs.

“She is definitely a full-fledged leader on the field,” Jacona said. “She’s the first one I can hear, and the first one trying to get her team going.”

This was the second-straight first team selection for Swadley.

“It’s a good way to end my hockey career,” Swadley said. “Sara (Kolobielski) and I did a good job helping the people around us, and they did a good job stepping it up.”



The sophomores

Over the summer, Tori Cox and Alyssa Prettyman shared a similar goal – to become starting varsity players.

So they participated in summer league games and attended camps together.

Not only did they both accomplish that goal, but both were also named all-conference. Cox was named Second Team All-Henlopen Conference at midfield, while Prettyman was named Honorable Mention.

“They’ve come so far with their skills,” Jacona said. “They are both very steady players, and agility and skill-wise they are there for their teammates.

“They have the vision to know when they need to back up their teammates and when to go back (on defense).”

Both players were surprised when they found out they had received post-season honors.

“When Jacona told me I had a grin from ear to ear,” Cox said.

“I was so shocked when Jacona said I made honorable mention for all-conference,” Prettyman said.

Cox and Prettyman form a strong team because they’ve been teammates for so long.

“We’ve both been playing together since sixth grade,” Cox said. “We have the same experience, so if something happens on my side, I’ve got it, and if something happens on hers, she’s got it.”

“I love working with Tori,” Prettyman said. “Her and I are good at restarts and free-hits, and we both love to use our sweeps up the sideline. We also are pretty good at recovering.”

Jacona said both underclassmen emerged this season with strong personalities and strong play. Cox finished with two goals and three assists, while Prettyman had one assist.

“Tori has really come out of her shell. She’s aggressive on the field and a leader on the field,” Jacona said. “She was the star that brightened this year.

“Alyssa is so laid back that sometimes you don’t know where she’s going, but her confidence improved so much this year.”

Cox said both players plan on continuing their off-season work by playing indoor hockey, attending camps and going to the Disney Showcase in Florida in February. If they continue to work hard, Jacona sees more success for them in the future.

“From one year the skill level has grown,” Jacona said. “I can’t imagine how far they will go, but I know they aren’t done yet.”