Autumn Tibbets has made her mark on the field hockey program in just her first season. After transferring to Fitchburg State Tibbets had to choose between the many different sports that she plays, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, and obviously field hockey. She initially became a falcon with the intent to play basketball but got convinced to try out field hockey by one of her friends.

Having not played in two years she did not think that she would flourish as much as she did, once she touched the field all her teammates quickly realized her talent could help them win games. Tibbets stated that “The second I stepped on the field preseason, the coaches and all the upperclassmen were pushing me to be better.” There was a consistent theme of supportive teammates throughout the interview which is always a good sign coming from a team that is on the brink of become great. In Tibbets eyes the chemistry on this team was unlike anything she had seen before, “How close we were is not normal…We were truly like a family.” She also said that it was in big part to head coach Kayla Quinn. Quinn seems to have created a culture where “everyone supports everyone” which has allowed the team to become so tightly knit.

This being Tibbets’ first collegiate season she was able to bring a very unique perspective. When I asked what the biggest difference between high school and collegiate sports is that “everyone who is playing a D III sport is playing because they love the sport.” Tibbets fits this category to a tee and made it seem like the whole roster does too. Even though the team had a lackluster record they play very well in most games, Tibbets said “I think we are a really good team, even though the scores don’t show it,” and I couldn’t agree more. The future of this program is looking great with Tibbets looking to lead the team in points for many years to come.