Boston, New York, or perhaps California? In America, it’s quite normal to cover substantial distances for matches. Most teams are located on the East Coast, so you’ll spend quite a few hours on a special bus with your team (no more driving parents). Is the match really far away? There’s a good chance you’ll all take a flight together. Typically, matches that are a bit farther are clustered so you’re on the road for a weekend. The time between matches is spent together in hotels<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hockey matches in America have to be decided! If the score is tied after regular playtime, there’s always ‘overtime’. And overtime isn’t your typical extension, definitely not. During overtime, you actually play with 7 players on each side on the full field! You immediately understand why those strength and fitness training sessions are necessary. Oh, and if you’re still tied after playing the full overtime? Then it’s time for shootouts. Better start practicing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The end of every College Field Hockey season consists of various tournaments. Initially, your goal is to make it to your ‘Conference Tournament’ with your team. This is the end-of-season tournament for your league. If you win this tournament, you advance to the big final tournament: The NCAA Championships. Following this tournament with several rounds of do-or-die matches, the ‘National Champion’ is eventually determined. Even if you don’t win your Conference Tournament, you can still qualify for the NCAA tournament by winning many matches during the regular season. As a result, you realize that every game has a purpose and you always step onto the field as a team with incredible determination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many girls hear it when they arrive in America: ‘Your teammates are your sisters.’ As a down-to-earth Dutch girl, your initial reaction might be: ‘Yeah right, sure.’ But within a week, you realize nothing could be truer. Teams often consist of 25-30 players, and while you might not become best friends with everyone, you become incredibly close with a large portion in a short amount of time. Another great aspect: there are often more players from different countries on your team. Hello, vacation spots in Argentina, Australia, and South Africa!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.slamstox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/KIP_0030_16241__eQhMI-edited.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOvertime and shootouts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Tourney time!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.slamstox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/celebration_skidmore_2022_65ZkD-edited.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cYour teammates are your sisters\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n