By Michael McCurdy
On Sept. 25, the Iowa field-hockey team will face Rutgers in New Jersey, a state that is all too familiar for Iowa senior Alexandra Pecora.
Pecora is from Bishop Eustace High School in Marlton, New Jersey. She has been a successful field hockey player for much of her life and led her team to two state titles in high school. She also pitched on the softball team and was selected to compete in the 2013 National Futures Elite Championships.
A common theme for Iowa field hockey is recruiting players from the East, and that is exactly what head coach Lisa Cellucci had in mind when going after Pecora.
“Most of the athletes we recruit over the years have been from out East, so we saw her in a lot of tournaments out in New Jersey,” Cellucci said. “After that, she came to our camp, and I had the opportunity to coach her, and that’s how it all fell together.”
Pecora was attracted to the winning tradition and successful history of Iowa field hockey. What attracted her even more, though, was Cellucci. Pecora sees her as one of the best goalkeeper coaches in the country. Cellucci was a goalkeeper at Iowa and earned an All-American award in 1995, so Pecora has learned a lot over the last four years on what it takes to be a college goalkeeper.
Pecora brings a lot to the table for the team. From her skills defending the goal to communicating with her team, she is always in charge. She said she likes to lead by example on and off the field, whether that is her footwork and mechanics or her academics.
Senior Sophie Plasteras, who has appreciated her opportunity to play with Pecora, said she has been a natural leader throughout their four years together.
“She just has this presence about her where she makes you want to follow her on and off the field,” Plasteras said. “We’ve been friends for four years, and it’s been really fun. I’m excited where the rest of the season is going to take us.”
Plasteras is not the only one who values Pecora’s leadership, Cellucci also thinks Pecora is a natural-born captain, who makes the team better in many ways.
“She is our captain and has been a leader for the last three years,” Cellucci said. “Off the field she does a great job; she’s very easy to talk to and is a great listener. She does a great job at taking things very seriously.”
Even though Rutgers coaches did not recruit her, Pecora still has a strong bond with the program, being from New Jersey.
“I wasn’t recruited by them personally, but I do know the head coach. She was my Futures coach growing up, and I also have a lot of friends who attend Rutgers,” Pecora said. “It’s going to be a great game, they’re new to the Big Ten, and it is becoming a great rivalry. It is going to be fun.”
Because she is from New Jersey, she said her family plans on attending the game this weekend along with lots of friends from her home state.
“It’s going to be a little New Jersey reunion, so I am just very excited to get out there and play,” she said.
