The King’s Fork High School field hockey team will be dealing with significant change this year while it looks to continue its established direction from the last two years under coach Courtney Van der Linden.

The Lady Bulldogs met her goal of winning four games in 2012, her first year with the team. Then, with some help from the Virginia High School League’s realignment in 2013, King’s Fork produced a 10-6 record, the best ever in the history of the school’s varsity field hockey program.

The team advanced past the first round of the Ironclad Conference tournament before falling just short of a regional berth in a 1-0 semifinal loss to Nansemond River High School.

Now, the 2014 King’s Fork team must adjust to a further culture shock on the team.

“This is the first year as a head coach that I’ve lost seniors,” Van der Linden said.

The Lady Bulldogs had featured a young roster the last couple of years, but saw six players graduate in June, including Kana Hashigami, a staple on the team, and star defender Chiamaka Akujuobi.

This year’s squad has an even split between upperclassmen and underclassmen, including five seniors, and several players were brought up from the junior varsity level.

“It’s definitely a very different team,” Van der Linden said.

She said it has been a rather intimidating process to adjust to a different make-up of the team, but she has made a clear effort to help her new leaders transition into their new roles.

“I’m trying to change the perspective of the team altogether in thinking that it’s not that you’re filling someone else’s shoes,” she said. “It’s more that you’re starting your own legacy.”

The Lady Bulldogs have already looked good in the preseason, further along in skill set and ability than previous incarnations of the team and capable of another winning season, Van der Linden said.

“I think it’s possible, and I think we can, and I would like, obviously, to do even better, if possible,” she said.

Among the leaders in this endeavor will be senior Rachel Gist, who is already in discussion with colleges interested in her playing for them next year. She is known for consistency and strong leadership, and she will be playing as a center midfielder.

“She may not necessarily be the one scoring all the goals, but she’s definitely involved in the goal-scoring process,” Van der Linden said. “Rachel’s also one of our key players in (penalty) corners.”

Also serving as a facilitator will be her fellow senior captain Randi Fiel, playing as a right midfielder.

“Both of them, they’re definitely play-makers,” the coach said.

Sophomore Skylar Wall will go from being a standout defender for the girls’ soccer team to the field hockey squad’s starting goalkeeper, having gotten her first exposure to that role last year.

Junior Carlee Morse will transition out of goal and into the field.

Van der Linden said senior captain Hannah Washburn is playing for only her second year but is a natural leader, always looking to improve and showing versatility on offense.

“She’s pretty much a forward I can put anywhere,” the coach said.

Two players whose impact should only grow as the season progresses are junior defender Emma Marston and sophomore forward/midfielder Lauren Park.

Coach Van der Linden said among her team’s biggest challenges this year will be growing from last year, avoiding so many overtime games and executing King’s Fork’s style of play consistently.

The Lady Bulldogs begin their season next Wednesday hosting Grassfield High School.