Kreytak played on the Middlesex team before trasnferring to Andover.
According to Kreytak, she began playing at a clinic every summer and transitioned to playing competitively in middle school.
“I started playing field hockey by attending a clinic for one week in the summer… I then continued in middle school and that was when I first played on a competitive team. It was really fun for me to learn a new sport… There are also so many skills to be learned in field hockey which really pushed me as an athlete,” said Kreytak.
Kreytak always leads the team by example and brings positive energy on and off of the field, according to teammate Katie Wimmer ’21 and Coach Kate Dolan.
“Carly is an excellent Captain—she is always checking in on everyone and asking for their opinions and input. She is one of the nicest people you will ever meet and emanates positivity at every practice and game. She is very good at making sure everyone is included and has the chance to share their ideas and personality with the team,” Wimmer said.
Dolan wrote in an email to The Phillipian, “Carly is consistent in all that she does – practices, games, she brings the same level of encouragement, positive energy and high level of play every time she steps on the field. Carly leads in quiet unassuming ways with kindness, friendliness, modesty and she leads by example.”
As a player, Kreytak plays center back and utilizes physical skills and her knowledge of the sport to strategize in games, according to Coach Martha Fenton ’83 and teammate Kiera Suh ’22.
“Carly’s really skilled. Her stick skills are phenomenal and she has a great sense for the game. She’s played a lot of field hockey in the last three or four years and I think she’s gained a real understanding of the game,” said Fenton.
Suh said, “I think Carly is really good at analyzing how practices and games go because obviously our coaches do that but there is another level that she takes it to. Since she is a player on the field, she has the ability to go even further to break down how we played and also our mindset during games. Carly normally plays center back, so most of the time she stays below the bottom half of the field, but she is also really good at ball handling.”
In addition to her ability on the field, Kreytak’s hard work and determination inspires her teammates to step up during both games and practices, according to Olivia Nolan ’20.
Nolan said, “She leads by example and goes 100 percent all the time—anytime she steps on the field, which is a great way to model behavior some of the younger people, as well as older players. It is great to see a captain who really cares about the team and wants to go and leave it all out on the field to make the team better.”
According to Jacque Harrington ’20, Kreytak brings a positive aura to every team setting and serves as a source of motivation.
“Carly brings a lot of positivity and really pumps everyone up before every practice and game to get us going and keep the team motivated,” said Harrington.
For Kreytak, field hockey has been a large part of her Andover experience and its sense of community is like no other.
“Andover has been really special compared to other teams I’ve been on because the coaches and teammates care so much, so it has made it so much fun playing. In the fall, it is [my] favorite part of the year, just being with everyone,” said Kreytak.
Kreytak hopes the team can continue to perform as well as it has and keep improving as a whole.
Kretyak said, “I hope that we can keep improving. Personally that is something I’m always trying to do no matter the outcome of a game or match—whenever I step on the field that’s the goal in mind. I think the team has so much potential this year, so hopefully we are able to push our limits and push each other to be the best we can best.”
