Rumson’s Croddick seeks fourth consecutive Shore Conference Championship

Four years ago, the Rumson-Fair Haven field hockey program was without a Shore Conference Tournament championship. Then Lily Croddick stepped on campus, and everything changed.

“She’s been one of the key players who helped bring this team to the level it is now,” Rumson-Fair Haven field hockey coach Julie Brewington said.

Croddick and the Class of 2018 is seeking their fourth consecutive Shore Conference Tournament championship.

“It would mean a lot to me and my fellow seniors, because we would be the first class to win four Shore Conference championships in a row,” Croddick said. “It would show how far the program has come since we were freshmen.”

Croddick, who has compiled an astounding 145 goals and 49 assists in her high school career through Oct. 20, grew up playing soccer, lacrosse, tennis, and basketball. She picked up field hockey in fifth grade, and it came natural.

“I just love playing and I feel I picked it up really quickly,” Croddick said. “I feel like it came natural to me, and I just really liked it.”

She scored her 100th career goal as a junior, becoming just the second Rumson player to achieve that mark, and the only one to do it as a junior.

“That’s extremely rare. It just speaks to her ability to score. It’s one of the best I’ve seen in a high school player, for sure,” Brewington said. “She is able to get in the circle and get those shots off. She’s been great on corners for us, and she just sees the field really well. What makes it even more impressive is the teams she’s been on all four years have been very talented, so we are not just a one-player team. Yes, she’s been our leading scorer for the past few years, but we have other girls that can score as well. She’s been a great team player.”

“That was such a big milestone. It’s a lot for anybody in any sport to reach, because 100 goals is a lot,” Croddick said. “My teammates helped me out a lot and I was able to score all those goals because my teammates were there to back me up. It just shows how good of a program we are.”

Croddick will be attending Stanford University in Palo Alto, California to continue her academic and athletic career next fall.

“I knew when I was looking at schools, I wanted to go somewhere high academically where I could get a good education, as well as play competitive field hockey,” Croddick said. “Stanford was the perfect fit for me.”

Brewington has watched Croddick grow on and off the field the past four years, and she noted her maturity as the top aspect that has improved, which trickles down to her play on the field.

“She is stronger as a player and her skills on the field are improving. But the biggest thing for me is her maturity level,” Brewington said. “You come in as a freshman at 14 years old and to be able to watch her grow as a leader on the field has been great. She’s always been someone who everybody looked up to for her skill, but now more so, we see her character shine through and you can tell she wants what is best for the team.”

Brewington knows Croddick will leave a lasting impact on the Rumson program and community.

“Her freshman year was our first run to the Group II state title, and we’ve been building on that every year,” Brewington said. “She’s one of the players that has allowed us to keep playing at that high level that allows us to compete with some of the top teams in the state.”

 

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