Dartmouth field hockey standout Kelly Hood '12 has broken the Ivy League record for goals in a game and both the Ivy and Dartmouth records for goals and points in a season this year. Just a sophomore, Hood is well on her way to becoming an Ivy League field hockey legend.
Despite her success, however, Hood would rather be seen as a member of a successful team.
"My teammates are the reason I'm successful," Hood said. "They make me better everyday in practice by working hard, and they provide an incredible support system for me. Breaking records means very little to me, as long as the whole team is playing well and winning games."
Hood's focus on winning over individual success stems from her goal of winning an Ivy League championship before she graduates. The team has improved since last season and seems to be on track towards achieving Hood's goal, as Dartmouth already has three more wins than it did all of last year.
At 4-2 in the Ivy League and in third place with only one game left in the regular season, the Big Green is out of the running to win the championship this year. Hood said, however, that the team still wants to win its last game and finish strong.
"Right now our goal as a team is to beat Cornell," Hood said. "I'm confident that as long as we play our game for 70 minutes, we'll beat them and finish the season well."
Hood came to Dartmouth from the Holderness School in Plymouth, N.H., where she led the field hockey team to two Class-M New Hampshire state championships.
As a freshman with the Big Green, Hood immediately became an integral part of the Big Green offense, scoring 20 points and being named an All-Ivy honorable mention. This year, she leads the Ivies with 42 points, four more than the previous season record, and scored a league-record five goals against Brown.
Hood, who described herself as "really quiet and shy," said she hopes to break out of her shell to take on a more vocal role.
"I'm not the most outspoken person right now, so I like to think that I lead by example," Hood said.
Right now, co-captains Virginia Peisch '11 and Chelsea Dodds '10 are team mainstays and lead with experience, she said.
"Gini and Chelsea are amazing captains, and I have so much respect for both of them," Hood said. "They are perfect role models for our team, and they work hard to make sure that everyone on the team is happy."
Hood also said that she also looks up to Claire Byrne '11. On defense, Byrne started all 17 games last season.
"She is really underrated and doesn't get the recognition she deserves," Hood said. "She has stick skills I dream of having and makes her opponents look silly."
Hood said that head coach Amy Fowler is a huge influence on the team and its success. Now in her 10th year as head coach, Fowler has led the Big Green to two ECAC tournaments, including one win.
"Coach Fowler is a good balance of work and fun," Hood said. "She jokes around when it's appropriate, but she's also really intense and makes us work hard."
Despite her success this season, Hood still hopes to improve as a player. Having become one of the best scorers in the Ivy League, she said that she now wants to become a better defender.
"It's great to score goals, but defense is what wins games," Hood said. "I have never really enjoyed playing defense, but as a midfielder, it's my job to play both sides of the ball. I look to some of my teammates to help me improve that part of my game."
Last year, after a successful campaign, Hood worked all summer on her stamina.
"I knew that the only way I was going to make myself better was if I put the work in before the season, so I spent the whole summer at the track," Hood said.
If she keeps improving every season and stays healthy, Hood could become even more of a threat to opposing teams one player who could potentially score more than five goals in a game is a terrifying prospect. For Dartmouth, Hood's still-developing talent could mean the first Ivy League title since 1987.
