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Natalie Morgan is a coach’s dream — and opponent’s nightmare — on the field hockey pitch.
The Chelmsford resident and Lawrence Academy standout is described by her club coach, Sue Caples, as a team player and a leader with a strong skillset and heart of a lion.
It’s no surprise that Morgan, a rising senior at Lawrence Academy this fall, is committed to continuing her field hockey career at the University of Vermont, a Division 1 program on the rise after winning the America East title last season.
But behind any box score or college commitment, there is one trait that stands out in Morgan’s game from the rest. She just loves playing.
“Playing, practicing, competing, all of it,” said Caples, the director and head coach of the Wizards Field Hockey Club. “And that is really a wonderful thing for a coach, a parent, anyone to see.”
Morgan’s crescendo to one of the top players in the region happened rather quickly. After picking up the sport at age 8, she couldn’t immediately tell if it was something she truly wanted to pursue.
That all changed when she rose to the U14 level of the club circuit, eventually landing with Caples at the Wizards as a freshman.
Morgan said joining the Wizards was probably the best decision she’s made in her field hockey career.
“She’s awesome,” Morgan said. “She gave me such an opportunity, and she was always right by my side helping me along the way with my college process.”
Caples was a longtime coach at Harvard and has experience working in just about every corner of the game, including with the U.S. National Field Hockey Program. In 2013, she helped spearhead the Bedford-based club into the powerhouse it is today.
In three seasons of playing field hockey at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Natalie Morgan of Chelmsford has nettted 26 goals and dished out 24 assists. (Courtesy photo)
“She’s really helped me with everything, whether it’s good or bad, or hard lessons to learn or good lessons and good outcomes,” Morgan said. “She’s really been an integral part of my experience.”
But Morgan had all the makings of a future star even before she landed with the Wizards, electing to attend the prestigious Lawrence Academy in Groton. She said it was a hard decision to leave her friends in Chelmsford, but that it was yet another positive choice in her path to being a Division 1 student-athlete in college.
Since then, the star back has excelled at the high school ranks and in the club circuit. In three seasons at Lawrence Academy, Morgan has totaled 26 goals and 24 assists and will be a two-year captain this season, all while balancing academics with a year-round club season.
At Lawrence Academy, students are required to play a sport in all three seasons. So Morgan took up tennis in the spring while working in the equipment room in the winter months.
While she excels as a defender, Morgan has developed an elite finishing ability, primarily as a corner shooter.
“I really wanted to work on a skill that would set me apart from other players, and I really wanted to be good at one thing,” she said. “And I really wanted to have something that I could always rely on if I needed it.”
Morgan hopes to maintain her role as a dual-threat stalwart at UVM.
After the high school field hockey season concludes, Morgan’s club campaign with the Wizards takes off with an indoor season, leading to national tournaments in the spring and summer months. The last two years, Morgan and the Wizards have qualified for the USA Field Hockey National Indoor Tournament and National Club Championships — allowing her to gain exposure in front of some of the nation’s best colleges.
Morgan committed to UVM in the fall of her junior year, which was a weight lifted off her shoulders last season. With a college commitment under her belt, Morgan was able to enjoy the competitive atmosphere of the club season without having to worry about impressing coaches. Morgan was recently named a U19 National Club Championship All-Star.
“Because when you’re not committed and you are looking to go to college for your sport, I feel like you’re just so focused on coaches watching you,” Morgan said. “But I think this past year of being at nationals already committed, it was really eye-opening to see the teams that I was playing against and the coaches that were there.”
Meanwhile, Caples watched Morgan emerge as a leader last spring — something that her Lawrence Academy peers recognized by naming her a captain as a junior.
Chelmsford’s Natalie Morgan has honed her skills with the Wizards Field Hockey Club. (Courtesy photo)
“I think she brings just good energy and adds a lot to our team culture,” Caples said.
Morgan will look to do just that at Lawrence Academy this fall, where she will look to guide her squad to the playoffs for the first time in her career in the competitive Independent School League (ISL).
“So hopefully this season we can make playoffs,” Morgan said. “I would love to see our team strive for the best that we can be and push each other on and off the field and really advocate and push each other to the next level.”
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