University of Connecticut Athletics
Cheyenne Sprecher is Following the Footsteps of Greatness
12/3/2019 8:56:00 AM | Field Hockey
by Danny Barletta
UConn field hockey goalkeeper Cheyenne Sprecher is coming off an exceptional sophomore campaign. She was named the Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year and earned spots on the All-Conference and All-Region First Teams. When the All-American teams come out in a few weeks, there is no doubt that Sprecher will garner plenty of honors then too.
In fact, calling Sprecher's season exceptional may be an understatement. She was objectively the best goalie in the country this year. She led the nation in save percentage at .842, goals against average at .790 and shutouts with 13. She led all of these by solid margins and is one of only two goalies to give up fewer than a goal per game.
"She's buying into our UConn way of playing," goalkeeper coach Cheri Schulz said. "She's a really hard worker. She loves to grow as a player. I'm just seeing that growth exponentially throughout the season."
Sprecher is from Palmyra, Pennsylvania, and she started playing field hockey when she was six. She was originally a field player before transitioning to goalie when she was in middle school. She said once she was recruited to play at UConn, it was really a no-brainer for her to come.
"When I was recruited, I was a sophomore in high school, so UConn had just won back-to-back National Championships," Sprecher said. "They were just a stellar program. Everyone dreams to go to the No. 1 school to play your favorite sport. It was awesome."
Head coach Nancy Stevens said that it was more than just outright talent that made her want to recruit Sprecher.
"Talent and skill are one thing, but I think competitiveness is the most important thing especially playing at a top Division-I program," Stevens said. "She hated being scored on, and that means something … She has all the other qualities, which is athleticism, good eye-hand and eye-foot coordination that you need in goalkeeping, but it's the competitiveness that really jumped out at us."
Sprecher said that being a great goalie requires a different mindset and she loves the pressure that comes along with the position.
"My favorite part [of playing goalie] is probably how intense it is and the pressure," Sprecher said. "I know that's weird to say because a lot of people don't like to be under pressure, but I think that's one of the things I really enjoy about playing field hockey and playing goalie. Because when times get tough, you're the one that gets the ball out."
In her first year in Storrs in 2017, Sprecher was part of a National Championship team as a redshirt behind one of the best goalkeepers in UConn's history, Nina Klein.
"That was really great to watch [Klein] and pick up some of her skills and learn from her," Sprecher said. "That season was a lot of fun. Even though I wasn't playing, it was just a lot of fun to be around all the girls and win the natty."
Sprecher said the biggest thing she picked up from Klein was her grit and work ethic. She put that into her own game and had a solid first year starting in 2018. She earned All-Big East honors as well as Big East Freshman of the Year for her efforts.
However, this season she was on another level, improving all her numbers. The defense as a whole was spectacular, but Stevens said that starts with the person in net.
"Goalkeeping is like pitching in baseball or softball in that your team will go as far as the goalkeeper plays well," Stevens said.
Sprecher has played exceptionally well, leading the team to a Big East title and a win in the National Tournament in both of her seasons. Schulz did not hesitate to put her in the same category as the greats that came before her like Klein and Sarah Mansfield.
"[Sprecher's] decision making, her athleticism, her quick footwork, all of that Mansfield had and Klein had," Schulz said. "I think it's just getting her the confidence that she is good enough. She's gotta believe in herself and I'm seeing that more this year than I did last year."
One thing that Klein and Mansfield did that Sprecher has yet to do is lead a team to the National Championship, but she still has two seasons left to accomplish that and further cement her place in UConn history.
