Field Hockey
Favorite athlete: Tyrese Maxey
Favorite team: Sixers
Favorite memory competing in sports: Being able to play with two of my sisters on the field my freshman year
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports:
When I was younger and was headed to a field hockey game, my mom asked if I had everything I needed for my game and I said yes. When we got there, I looked down at my legs and realized I had forgotten to put on my shin guards and cleats - they were still at home by the front door.”
Music on playlist: Noah Kahan, Drake
Future plans: Playing field hockey at Drexel University with my older sister Lily
Words to live by: “Be a goldfish.”
One goal before turning 30: Own my own business
One thing people don’t know about me: I like to bake in my free time.
By Mary Jane Souder
Ella Haag is described by her field hockey coach as patient, kind and calm.
No one will argue that the Central Bucks South senior is all of those things, but don’t be fooled. The senior captain is fiercely competitive and a whole lot tougher than her kind demeanor might suggest.
Need proof?
Haag was injured after a collision with another player in the Titans’ game against North Penn with what was later determined to be a bruised sternum and concussion.
“She played through the entire game without telling us how much it hurt to breathe,” South field hockey coach Kelli Chioffe said.
Turns out Haag was reluctant to even get checked out after the game
“I had to go and get all these tests to see if I had concussion,” she said. “I didn’t want to because I wanted to continue playing, and I knew I was going to be out for a while.”
If there was any question about the significance of Haag’s role on the team (and there wasn’t), they were answered when she was sidelined for two weeks after suffering the injury.
“She missed a lot of games against the strong teams in our division and then three crossover games,” Chioffe said. “We had to switch out of our new formation that we had been working on since the start of the season and go back to basics – it was hard because I had just started getting the team to really start to figure it out.
“We had to find someone to fill in on both our offensive and defensive corner teams in her absence. So needless to say, we certainly felt a big void without her. She has a huge presence on our team and is so respected as a captain.”
While it was difficult for the Titans to be without her, it was even more difficult for Haag.
“I think it helped me watching my team when I was out because I got to see how everyone else plays, but it was also frustrating because during games when we were down, I just wanted to get back on the field and help the team,” she said.
Haag is back on the field helping her team, and when her playing days at South are behind her, she is committed to continue her hockey career at Drexel University next fall.
‘Sister Act’ Haag style
Ella is the third of four sisters, and field hockey is the undisputed sport of choice in the Haag family. Older sisters Grace and Lily both played field hockey, and their influence has been unmistakable.
“I was always having to go and watch their games, and I just always wanted to be on the field with them,” Ella said.
Haag got her first taste of life on the hockey field with the Warrington-Warwick Athletic Association when she was in third grade.
“I just loved being with the team dynamic and just having stick skills, like the hand coordination with the stick and just the thrill of scoring and playing defense,” she said.
It wasn’t long before Haag began playing club hockey, initially with Souderton Strikers and – in ninth grade – switching to Mayhem.
As a freshman, Haag – who was a swing player between JV and varsity – had the unique opportunity to play with both her older sisters.
“They were always pushing me to be the best,” she said. “I was always so nervous, but they gave me so much confidence every time I stepped on the field. I loved playing with them.”
If it seems as though there would be inevitable tension in a family of field hockey players, Ella insists there wasn’t.
“All of us are competitive, but it was a good competitive,” she said. “We always practiced together, we would do one-on-ones, but we were always pushing each other to become the best field hockey players we could be.”
Haag lists playing with her older sisters as her favorite sports memory, and although she never had the opportunity to play with her younger sister, Aoife – who is in sixth grade - is also hooked on hockey.
The ultimate team player
The senior captain has been a fixture in the starting lineup since she was a sophomore.
“Ella Haag is a committed and complete athlete,” Chioffe said. “She works to better herself constantly and is the ultimate team player. Her defense is stellar, and her field hockey IQ is excellent. Ella is explosive on offense and can bring the ball down the field when necessary.”
A key player on both her team’s defensive and offensive corners, Haag, according to her coach, is involved in every aspect on the field.
Her leadership is also significant.
“As a captain, she is very willing to lead and has great rapport with her teammates and coaches,” Chioffe said.
Haag’s leadership style is understated but effective, and when things are tough, she is quick to point out the positive.
“If someone is doing good, I tell them to keep trying, to keep going – just trying to point out the most key things they’ve been doing instead of looking at all the negative things,” Haag said. “And just being able to pull in the team when you can see someone’s frustrated, just pulling them in and trying to hold us all together.”
Looking ahead
Away from the hockey field, Haag is an excellent student with diverse interests.
“I’m really into art classes, so I take a couple art classes each year,” she said. “I like ceramics, and I like drawing and painting, so I guess I like all of it.”
Haag Is looking forward to next semester when she will take a new class being offered.
“It’s unified art, so it’s helping kids with intellectual disabilities in art class, which I’m super excited to be taking,” she said. “I also do unified track. I help out with that, and I love doing that and being able to run with them.”
Haag is involved with Athletes Helping Athletes as well as Titans Connect. She is also the female athlete representative for her grade.
Next fall, Ella will join her sister Lily at Drexel, and although Drexel was a frontrunner from the start, she did her homework before committing.
“I started thinking about playing in college around the time Lily committed,” Ella said. “So, her junior year – it would have been my freshman year, we would start going to clinics together. We really wanted to go to the same college to be able to continue playing with each other.
“When she committed, I decided to start looking at different schools too just to make sure I had the right school that fit me. I was able to visit tons of colleges because I would go see Lily play, so I was able to see what campuses I liked, what type of student dynamic I liked. It really helped being able to visit all those colleges before making my decision, but I just fell in love with Drexel.”
Haag is leaning toward a business major but is not completely certain. She is, however, certain she made the right college choice.
“I love the campus, I love how everything is just right there, and I love the city environment,” she said. “I also love the coaching staff.
“After the first clinic I went to (at Drexel), I could just see I was a better player off the technique they told me to do, and the team dynamic is like a family, which I love. It’s competitive, but everyone is helping you and trying to make you a better teammate.”
In Haag, Drexel will inherit more than just an outstanding field hockey player.
“Ella is a true role model to for the younger players,” Chioffe said. “She is well liked and respected by her peers.
“She is patient, kind and calm, but don’t let that fool you. She is one of the toughest players around.”
