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Salem Blue Devils Field Hockey '07

Battle of the Unbeatens

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Twins Julie, left, and Chelsea Sickel, just like their two older sisters, will be playing Division 1 college field hockey. Before making a name for themselves at Kent State in Ohio, the two want to go out with a bang at Timberlane, starting with Friday's showdown of with fellow unbeaten Salem.
 » Allegra Boverman, Staff PhotographerMore photos

Wednesday, October, 03 By Dave Dyer
Staff writer

Ashley Mulkey, Carolyn Malloy and Tatum Dyer are ready to move in a new direction.

Field hockey teammates since starting the sport together in Windham as sixth graders, they are captains for two-time defending Class L champion Salem, which has a showdown of unbeatens at 4 p.m. Friday at Timberlane.

They also all have made verbal commitments to Division 1 colleges, which is an impressive accomplishment for any high school team. Malloy has committed to Northeastern, Dyer is headed to American University in Washington, D.C., which is ranked 12th nationally, and Mulkey recently made Providence her choice.

Mulkey was considering joining Malloy at Northeastern. "I thought it'd be nice to go to the same school (as Malloy), but I really want to branch out on my own," said Mulkey. "We've been playing together for so long." Malloy, who likes the location of Northeastern and the co-op program offered there, feels pretty much the same way.

"It would have been fun to have her (Mulkey) at Northeastern, but it'll be fun to start out with a new group of players," said Malloy, one of the Huskies' top recruits. Salem coach Carol Merchant isn't surprised by the Division 1 scholarship offers given to her tri-captains and she believes more offers will be forthcoming for other Blue Devils.

"We have so many kids who have been playing three or four years who have really developed," said Merchant. "I look at girls like Taylor Dyer (Tatum's sister) and Chelsea Morrison and I think they'll have opportunities. Katie Bettencourt could play (college field hockey), too, if she weren't set (at UMass Amherst) for softball."

It makes Friday's matchup with Timberlane | both are 10-0 | look like a "futures" college showcase. For the Owls, the Sickel twins, Chelsea and Julie, are headed to Division 1 Kent State on scholarship, Annie Hansbury is all but committed to Division 2 power UMass Lowell, Stephanie Glazier has Northeastern on top of her list of interested schools and Sarah Cannon is debating whether to continue her career at Tufts or Bowdoin.

"I definitely expect this to be one of our toughest matches," said Merchant. "It's a good rivalry and they have a big senior class like we do."

The Blue Devils admit it's been difficult not to look ahead. "They've shown that they're ready to compete and we know it'll be a tough game," said Mulkey. "I'm really excited about it."

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