Hobbs and Walton bridge generation gap

She watches from her new midfield position as her teammate scores another goal--one more in a season that promises to set a new record before its conclusion. Lindsay Hobbs, PC '99, must be having a feeling of déjà vu as she hustles back to get in position for the following face-off. After all, wasn't it only three years ago that she set her very own record for goals in a season?

Now captain of the Bulldog team to which she set fire in 1995, Hobbs watches as Amanda Walton, SY '02, looks to break Hobbs' freshman goal-scoring record for field hockey. Walton, who netted two more goals in the team's 4-0 victory over Providence on Wed., Oct. 7, improving the 18th-ranked Elis to a solid 7-2 record, has now scored 10 times this season. She will almost certainly break Hobbs' freshman record of 13 goals. And one of her biggest fans plays right behind her.

"Amanda is an incredible athlete," Hobbs said of Walton, "She has the ability to always beat people to the ball and uses all of her tools during the game. She is a dominating force inside the scoring circle and has a nose for the goal. I'm so happy for her. She really deserves every record she gets."

Walton has used her knack for scoring early and often this season. She scored four goals in the team's first six contests before having a breakout game against Columbia on Thurs., Oct. 1, when she netted four goals in a 5-0 victory. The team hasn't had such a proficient scorer since 1995, when Hobbs stormed onto the Ivy scene by scoring four goals in her first two games.

Both players came to Yale after strong high school careers. Hobbs' Tower Hill Academy (Wilmington, DE) team won state championships in her first three seasons, and she only lost two games in her four years. Walton's St. Paul's Academy (Concord, NH) won the New England Championship each of her last three years. Not surprisingly, both Hobbs and Walton led their respective teams in scoring for much of their time in high school.Yet the similarities between the two players stop at their propensity to score. Abby Alt, JE '99, the only player on the team to play with both Hobbs and Walton when the two were in their respective freshman campaigns, said that while the two may put up similar numbers in the box score, their styles of play set them apart.

"When Lindsay shoots, it almost seems nonchalant," Alt said. "She just hits it and in goes in. Her aim is absolutely incredible. Amanda moves around a lot and is very aggressive. While Lindsay would seem to blend into the crowd and just find a way to get the goal, Amanda seems to be constantly moving--you get a better chance to see her before she gets the shot off."

The two players don't compete for goals this year, as Hobbs has moved to the midfield position, one that does not require as much scoring presence. Coach Marisa Didio said that Hobbs has embraced the challenge presented by her new position, and, with Alt, has opened up scoring chances for forwards such as Walton.

"Lindsay and Amanda are such good complements for each other and for the team," Didio said. "Lindsay took on her new role on the field with enthusiasm and excitement, and it's been her and Abby's play that has really created opportunities on the offensive end." Once that is accomplished, Walton takes over.

"She's just such a natural inside the scoring circle," Didio said. "She has incredible range and power and is very natural in her decision making."

Walton has handled being the latest star on the Yale fields with a good deal of humility."When I'm on the field, I really don't always think about just scoring the goal," she said. "My objective is just to work towards the goal and try my hardest. It's really the whole team that has been great this year--so many people don't get the recognition that they can and should get. It's been a really exciting year for all of us on the team."

As for her captain, Walton appreciates that Hobbs plays directly behind her on the field.

"Lindsay doesn't fool around out there," Walton said. "She's really dedicated and hard-working, without being overly intense. Because of our positions, we're around each other a lot on the field. And it's really nice for me to be next to the best player on the team."

Her captain would say the same.

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