Please say your name, age and where you are from.

My name is Lena I am 23 years old and I am from Stuttgart Germany

Tell me about your field hockey journey when and where did it start?

It started when I was 5 years old, I don’t even remember that good but my brother used to play field hockey so I went to one of his practices and watched him so I like it, so I went back home and I told my mom that I wanted to play field hockey too so I started there and later on I changed my club at 12 years old and once again I changed my team when I was 18 years old ( Stuttgart Kickers) and  I have been playing for my current club for about 5-6 years.

What is it like to move across the world to play the sport that you love?

So for me it has been a great opportunity, when I decided to study a semester abroad it was clear that I wanted to play field hockey, we don’t have sports associated with the school in Germany so it was a very different thing to mix school and athletics.

What are some challenges you have encountered?

To be honest, at the beginning I had a big cultural shock, I think are a lot of small things, for example, housing, food, school, it is way different! Also, we do not have homework in Germany, so it was very difficult for me at the beginning and it is still a little bit difficult to organize myself and get my stuff done in time also, of course, the language especially in the field, is hard when you don’t have time to think what you want to say especially in a game.

What does it feel like to be on the NFHCA watchlist?

It feels amazing! To be honest with you I never heard of it until my coach told me that I was on the watchlist right before a game, I couldn’t believe it! (There are 254 players from 3 divisions) it is crazy! I’m doing my best to be selected by the all-American team.

You are so close to beating Casey Bromage’s 25 goals in a single season record what are your thoughts?

First of all, I think it is very crazy but I want to break this record so bad, my teammates and coaches want me to break it but we have some close games coming up so it is not a safe thing to say that the record will be broken but I will do my best.

What is next for Lena Kassel? 

So when I go back to Germany I am going to finish my bachelor’s degree I have like 1 or 2 semesters left and I will go for a master’s degree and also want to play in a higher division in Germany field hockey I currently play on the 3rd divisions but I want to play in the first division that is my plan.

What is the legacy you want to leave for future generations in Fitchburg state field hockey?

So I think I have lots of experience from playing field hockey for the past 17 years, share these experiences with my coaches and teammates to make an impact not just at the moment but also in the following seasons, I want to give Fitchburg State a name on field hockey again!