VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The senior trio of Joji Purdy, Mia Clarkson and Chandler Cutchins have already led Norfolk Academy field hockey to the promised land.
The Bulldogs were Virginia Independent Schools field hockey state champions with a 23-0 record during their junior season under legendary head coach Mary Werkheiser. All three are committed to play at Penn State next year.
Purdy was first in the area with 50 goals last season. A team captain, Werkheiser says she is a natural leader, "She just brings out the best in her teammates, she wants to make her teammates better." Even after going down with an early season toe injury this year, Purdy continued to lead, "She had the unfortunate injury early on in the season, and she was the consummate player on the sideline," says Werkheiser.
That early season injury, a slower than usual start for the Bulldogs, and a legacy already cemented for the senior class did not diminish the motivation for this group. In fact, it was quite the opposite. In Purdy's first game back, she scored two goals to lead her team to a win, and the team has surged following the slow start.
The seniors have a bit of added motivation as well. This will be Coach Werkheiser's last season after 30 years of building the Bulldogs into a field hockey powerhouse. Her retirement lines up perfectly with the senior trio. They want to go out on top.
"Pulling together and winning the championship, I think for everyone that would really be proving ourselves," says Purdy, "while we might be a little farther down this year in the rankings, that doesn't mean were not as good as we were last year."
