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12/03/2024 01:14 PMFor Corallina Giuliano, it clicked when she first touched the stick in terms of her connection with field hockey. Her deep, underlying passion for the sport really came to the surface this past fall, when she was a natural at a new assignment and won the highest squad honor for it with the Valley Regional field hockey team.
Corallina started out as a gymnast as a toddler. But then around third grade, she and a friend were intrigued by a club team for a sport new to them in field hockey. From there, it was all systems go for Corallina, and she decided to forgo gymnastics during high school to focus primarily on field hockey. After having some time on varsity as a freshman, she was a utility player her sophomore year. Yet this past fall, the junior was asked to become a full-time defender and made the most of it, and she was named the Warriors’ Defensive Player of the Year for her efforts.
“For me, it just clicked with me. I wanted to grow up in the shoes of the high school players I saw when I was young while on the club team,” says Corallina. “It was a shocker to me when my name was called for the award this year. It was such a huge moment for me. This year, we had more offensive players on the team, so I was asked to play defense, and I said yes and fell in love with it. I practiced so much at home, I would be non-stop on the field. We had a practice early on with a 4-on-2 drill, and my coach wanted me to try defense, and it went smoothly. We had a game against Old Saybrook when I just cracked down and got into a mode where I was all about defense.”
While her unit may not rack up all the tallies that show up in a stat book or scoreboard, Corallina explains that her immediate colleagues make it enjoyable. She knows she is much heralded when she makes those critical deflections and moves to prevent tallies, and she loves when she gets a good clear on a ball.
“My teammates on defense also make it fun to play the position. I love that I get to prevent goals. I also enjoy that when you make a big stop, the rest of the team really appreciates it,” says Corallina. “Being on defense, you can sometimes be thought of as a backup for the rest of the team, but it is rewarding when you come through. As a defender with free hits on the ball, you are expected to not whiff, so there is pressure there, but it is a win-win situation when you get those big shots.”
Corallina has aspirations in the game that go beyond graduation, and so that desire truly helps her to keep going when it seems she is fighting an uphill battle. She is also driven by the fact that she can serve as an emotional barometer for the rest of her squad.
“I push myself when I am down because I know I want to play this sport in college. I also want to come through for the team and spread the joy around,” says Corallina. “As a team, we have learned that if you have a bad play, you do a mind reset action. I tap my shin guards, know I need to focus on the rest of the game, and then I am ready to go. I also know I cannot be down because then I bring everyone else down.”
Valley field hockey Head Coach Julie Labbadia declares that Corallina was never afraid to try her hand at multiple different departments for the Warriors. She not only carved out a niche at home on defense, but she has also established herself as a reliable teammate and leader.
“Last year, Corallina tried a bunch of different positions. Though she did well in all of them, she found her home on the defensive line. She played left or right defense depending on the day. She received our team's 2023 Most Improved Player award because her ball handling skills and her footwork really clicked, and she became a leader on the field skill-wise,” says Labbadia. “This season, she received our team Defensive Player of the Year Award. This award goes to the person who led our defensive line. Her leadership, consistency, and reliability in the circle helped everyone feel a bit more at ease when the other team has the ball in our circle. Corallina loves field hockey and wants to play in college. Younger players look up to her and go to her for advice. I am excited to have her on the team for one more season.“
Aggression as a defender is certainly a strong suit for Corallina. She explains it may not be an activity that invokes the biggest bumps and bruises, but she puts pride in her defense while looking to straighten out her snipes at the cage when the opportunities arise.
“My signature move has become the push pass. It has always been my thing. I am also good at driving,” says Corallina. “Field hockey is not a physical sport, but I know how to get low and push someone off. I need to work on shooting on the goal. I have a strong hit, but my trajectory on my shot can be off.”
Looking ahead to her senior season, Corallina sees some great potential in her fellow Warriors. She details that there is a path for Valley to rebound in a big way and get back to the postseason with a group of girls that came into their own as the campaign commenced.
“For the team, it would be nice if we can win more games next year. This team is outstanding with what we can do,” Corallina says. “This team can be so good. We had many players this past year that were new to varsity and were forced into varsity against college-level players. They were forced to grow from being new players, and you could see their confidence grow by the end. We just have to keep bonding and keep that growth mindset.”