Mandi and Kasey Ruth are no strangers to the game of field hockey.
The twin sisters have been playing the game since their elementary school days and have evolved into consistent contributors to the field hockey teams they’ve played on over the years.
Now, the duo is beginning to shine at the collegiate level, combining to produce six goals in only eight games this season.
Mandi, a forward who has started six of the team’s eight games, is tied for the team lead in points with nine. She has also notched four goals and one assist and was named Atlantic
Ten Conference Rookie of the Week earlier in the season.
Kasey, a midfielder/defensive back, has four points and two goals.
The sisters said they use one another as motivation on the field.
“We definitely feed off of one another and work in close proximity on the field,” Mandi said.
This pair naturally gravitated to the sport at an early age, primarily from observing their older sister Talia, who also played field hockey at Temple until graduating in 2005.
Kasey said Talia originally “inspired” her to play the game, and mentioned that her big sister was nothing but supportive and motivational toward the twins’ leap to the college level.
Kasey said Talia praised the girls and even admitted that they are better prepared and more knowledgeable than she was heading into the collegiate level.
The Ruth sisters honed their skills at Souderton High in Schwenksville, Pa. During their tenure there, they were both three-year letter winners and made the Pennsylvania High School Field Hockey Coaches Association All-State Team.
As far as this year’s season goes, the two sisters have high expectations, both for themselves and the team’s hunt for success in the A-10 tournament.
“I think we’re going to do really well, and we want to make it to A-10s,” Kasey said.
The Owls are currently 5-3, with losses coming from several nationally-ranked squads, including a 2-1 loss to No. 1 Maryland Sept. 9.
“We have been playing well so far and we only lost by one point to the No. 1 team in the nation,” Mandi said. “I think that really says a lot about how much we stepped up.”
Mandi and Kasey said they believe there is always room for improvement.
“We could pick it up offensively and we’ve had a lot of opportunities but we need to execute better,” Mandi said of her team’s performance thus far.
One of Kasey’s objectives for the year is to play her way into the starting lineup. She helped her cause Sunday by netting her second goal for the Owls in a 3-0 win over Fairfield, in which Mandi also added a goal of her own.
With the Ruth sisters already playing a key role in the team’s success, the future looks bright for the field hockey program, which has lost to Richmond in the A-10 tournament in each of the last two seasons.
Anthony Stipa can be reached at anthony.stipa@temple.edu.
Be the first to comment