Nauset Field Hockey Begins New Era Under First-year Coach Raspante

NORTH EASTHAM – A new chapter is underway for the Nauset field hockey program. 

 Sandwich native Tia Raspante is set to begin her head coaching career after replacing Katelin Oberlander, who led the Warriors for one season after taking over for longtime coach Cheryl Poore last fall. 

 Raspante played at the University of New Hampshire and spent the last two years pursuing her master’s degree in Springfield, where she served as a graduate assistant coach at Western New England. 

 “I ultimately knew I wanted to move back home, then this past spring when I was up at the high school as a long-term sub this opportunity to coach opened up and I knew I wanted to work with this age group,” Raspante said.

 Nauset graduated four seniors from last year’s team that finished 5-10-3, and Raspante is excited about the talent the Warriors bring back this fall. 

Senior Abby Powers and junior Callie Murphy are two upperclassmen who will be key additions this season after both sustained season-ending knee injuries that kept them out of the lineup last year. Senior Lexi Robicheau, a Roger Williams commit, will be an anchor at center back, while junior Mira Gerardi is expected to make an impact at the midfield. 

Throughout the preseason, Raspante has focused on getting to know the players and their strengths while they adjust to their third coach in as many seasons. 

“It’s tough as a new coach coming in,” she said. “The upperclassmen have had three coaches, so it’s kind of adjusting to my coaching style and where the team is at. We’re trying to figure out things that we can work on.”

The rookie coach has been thrilled with the way the players have approached practices and scrimmages thus far. 

“The team wants to be here,” Raspante said. “They are committed and they want to work hard. If we have that commitment, effort and attitude, then I think we can work on the game tactfully and work on our skill.”

 Raspante isn’t looking forward to end-of-season goals quite yet. Instead, her focus has been on helping the team make continued progress hoping it can be playing its best at the end of the season. 

 “I think being able to recognize the strengths we have and running with them is going to be very important,” she said. “Obviously they are getting adjusted to my coaching style and I’m getting adjusted to how they’ve been playing. We need to work with what we have and notice the growth we’re getting. I’m honestly trying to take it day by day, practice by practice and game by game.”

 Nauset opens its season on the road against St. John Paul II at 6 p.m. Thursday at Barnstable High School.