Maya Sattiraju was new to the sport and new to the goalie position when the West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North field hockey team took on an opponent with a veteran goalie who had more than 400 saves in her career.
Then a freshman with fewer than 100 saves to her name, Sattiraju was asked by teammates if she thought she’d ever reach a milestone like 400 saves.
“I was like, I don’t think so,” Sattiraju said.
The senior goalie will close her career with the Knights with close to 900 career stops.
“It’s crazy,” she said. “Now I’ve like doubled it over, and I just can’t help but laugh at how I couldn’t predict how my career would go.”
Sattiraju added 15 more saves to raise her career total to 867 in a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to rival South in the next-to-last game of the regular season. It was their second 1-0 loss to South in her career, and the Knights had hoped to snap the Pirates’ winning streak.
“You have to go in with the kind of positive outlook or else it’s just going to get kind of depressing,” Sattiraju said. “But I think that we had a good chance. I think we’re kind of rebuilding after years because I feel like we keep losing a lot of really important girls. And I feel like this was just another stepping stone. And I feel like in a year or maybe two, I think we have a really good chance.”
It has been a strong year overall, with the Knights going 6-8-2, their most wins in three years. North showed improvement down the stretch, with almost all of its games, including the losses, being highly competitive.
“What has stood out most about this group over the past month is how much they’ve grown together as a team,” said Knights coach Nicole Jurczynski. “They’ve learned to play to one another’s strengths and support each other on and off the field. Our returning players have really stepped up to guide and encourage the girls new to field hockey, helping them build confidence and trust. I’m incredibly proud of the way this group has come together and the trust they’ve built in one another.”
Jurczynski is the third coach in four years for Sattiraju and North. The former Ewing player came in hoping to foster a love of field hockey and emphasized teamwork and support for one another. The Knights have celebrated the small victories along the way while going 2-3-1 in the Colonial Valley Conference Valley Division. After a slow 1-3 start, the Knights have played .500 field hockey the rest of the way.
“I remember our first game against Stuart, immediately I knew that there was a huge difference between previous years,” Sattiraju said. “Like I was saying before, we had to rebuild a lot because each year we’ve lost a bunch of really integral players. I think last year we took a really big hit and this year I feel like this is our first time really being able to settle down and kind of evolve. You could just tell the trust that people have and I think also the coaches are a big thing.”
Jurczynski has tried to be a steadying influence as the new coach. She has seen the team grow together throughout the year and play well down the stretch.
“Over the past month, we’ve focused on each player’s strengths and how we can use them to succeed as a team,” she said. “We’ve emphasized the importance of the little things, from assists and defensive stops to supporting and encouraging their teammates. I want the girls to understand that every contribution matters and that anyone can make a difference on the field.”
Sattiraju has evolved considerably since her early days, when she switched from soccer and started learning the goalie position for the Knights. She has been a starter since her freshman year.
“It was really nerve wracking, especially because it was my first year playing field hockey, I just came straight from soccer and I’ve never played goalie before,” Sattiraju said. “I play lacrosse and I’m offense and soccer I was defense. So it was kind of a new position for me, not very expected. I think the main difference between me now versus me then is just the confidence. I feel like the confidence and my trust in myself and the trust of my teammates has just grown so much. I think that’s really imperative. You can only have so much skill. If you don’t believe in yourself, you don’t have the right mindset.”
Sattiraju is one of five seniors for the Knights. She and Caralyn Perez are the only members of the class who have been on varsity for four years. Sattiraju’s confidence and experience have been a big plus.
“Maya has been our starting goalie for four years and brings tremendous experience and leadership to the team,” Jurczynski said. “She plays an important role in our pregame and in-game huddles, communicating what the defense needs to do to be successful. Her ability to organize the defense, ensure players are marked, and direct clears from the circle is invaluable. Having a goalie with her knowledge of the game and ability to lead with confidence has been a tremendous asset to our defense and entire team. As a senior, she also provides important guidance and encouragement, helping her teammates navigate challenges and trust one another on the field.”
Sattiraju has always been vocal, but communicating was far tougher when she was starting out.
“I would just pretend that I knew what I was saying,” she said with a laugh. “I was just yelling at these people who are like 18 years old, fully saying the wrong thing, but it’s how I got here.”
She has since learned to communicate more effectively. She tries to be a supportive teammate while sharing the knowledge she has gained. She has worked each year with a new group of defenders to shore up the Knights’ defense. This year, the defense has been better, which actually means she has had to make fewer saves.
“Honestly it’s worth it just seeing the success of my teammates and my team as a whole,” Sattiraju said. “When you’re playing on a team that’s not so good, sometimes you kind of have to be like individual.”
The offense has been keyed by a number of younger players. Juniors Sonal Sharma and Mohisha Somashekar are the team’s leading scorers. Senior Annika Vednere has a pair of goals, as does another junior, Monisa Suman Ravi.
“Our underclassmen have really stepped up, showing confidence, taking risks, and making plays that benefit the entire team,” Jurczynski said. “Our seniors have been instrumental in encouraging their teammates and creating scoring opportunities through their leadership and teamwork. We’ve emphasized trusting their abilities, embracing challenges, and believing in what they can accomplish together. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see their confidence grow and their hard work translate into success on the field.”
Sattiraju is a leader off the field as well. In addition to playing lacrosse for North, she is active in several charity groups outside of school and is vice president of the Interact Club at North.
“It’s like a Rotary Club where we do different volunteer things,” she said. “Like we do our different food drives and stuff like that within our school.”
Sattiraju has been happy to be a leader during a successful season in her final year. With the season winding down, it has been bittersweet for her to reflect on her career. She and her teammates have been sharing stories about their time in the program. She has been playing lacrosse since she was young, and that sport holds a special place in her heart. But field hockey now does as well, after putting together a strong career as the last line of defense for North.
“I just think I’m better at field hockey than I am at lacrosse,” Sattiraju said. “It really kind of won me over, especially in the past few years. And it’s become something that I really care about and kind of throw myself into in a way that I didn’t really risk lacrosse.”
