The Greenwich Girls: Utica Field Hockey's Section II Connection

On September 1, the Utica University field hockey team stepped into enemy territory, exiting the bus for its season-opening road matchup against Skidmore College.

But when the Pioneers reached the field, the atmosphere was anything but hostile.

Instead of a sea of green and yellow, Utica was greeted by a wave of orange and blue. An entire section of the opposing stands was filled with Pioneer supporters, while even more lined the fencing along the field. What was supposed to be a road test suddenly felt like a homecoming.

Assistant coach Emma Clark had a feeling something special might be in store. With the Pioneers carrying a surplus of talent from New York's Section II, she knew the team had plenty of connections throughout the Capital Region. Still, even she could not have expected the size of the contingent that showed up.

Head coach Nikki Hobaica certainly noticed.

"We knew because there are so many of them (Section II athletes), that there would be a lot of people there…I look beyond all the girls and I see that we take up an entire section of stands and then there's tons of people just lined up on the fencing, like the whole way down. Like there were more people at our game yesterday at Skidmore than there are for home games. But again, it just shows you just the following that they have, and that it runs deep, and that it's a really big deal. It's not just parents and grandparents, it's friends, family, coaches, coworkers."

The Capital Region faithful were then treated to a pair of memorable moments, as South Glens Falls graduate Lauren Durfey (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls) recorded a goal and an assist, while Johnstown native Gabby Chase (Johnstown, NY/Johnstown) scored the first goal of her collegiate career.



For Hobaica, however, the scene in Saratoga Springs was about much more than a successful season opener. It was a glimpse into something deeper - a connection between Utica field hockey and a region where athletics are more than an after-school activity.

They are a way of life.

"Every person, every game, every team."
- Jocelyn Spiezio (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich)

That message perfectly captures the spirit of Greenwich, a small Washington County community of fewer than 5,000 people near the eastern border of New York State. Venture into the village for a community event, and it quickly becomes apparent that the heartbeat of Greenwich is much larger than its population would suggest.

Here, being there for one another is simply part of the culture.

Neighbors show up for neighbors. Teammates show up for teammates. Families show up for athletes. And when a Greenwich team takes the field, the community shows up with them.

That culture begins early. From youth sports through high school, many of Greenwich's athletes grow up playing alongside the same teammates year after year, building relationships and chemistry that continue to develop as they progress through the district. Older athletes become examples for younger ones, lessons are passed down from one generation to the next, and the success of one team becomes a source of pride for the entire community.

The support does not end when the final whistle of a high school career sounds.

Greenwich graduates, school district leaders, local officials, families and community members continue to rally behind the town's athletes, creating an environment where postseason victories can become community celebrations and major events can bring the entire town together.

It is a culture that has helped shape countless Greenwich athletes - and one that three former Witches are now carrying with them at the collegiate level.

This season, the Utica field hockey roster features three Greenwich graduates: seniors who have brought with them the passion, grit, and togetherness instilled in them from their earliest days in the green and black. Alongside a growing collection of Section II athletes, they have become part of a Pioneer program that increasingly feels familiar to those who grew up in the eastern part of the state.

Their paths to Utica were different. Their experiences have been unique. But their stories all begin in the same place.
Greenwich.

And now, they are helping create something familiar in a new home.

At Utica, the three Greenwich graduates have found a collegiate athletics community that echoes many of the values they grew up with - a place where teammates support one another, where families and communities continue to show up, and where every person, every game, and every team matters.

This is the story behind Utica field hockey's Section II connection.

The Greenwich Girls

"I always call it a real-life Gilmore Girls… everybody is everywhere. We have our Whipple City Days, Washington County Fair, there's always something, and everybody is there. Even if you have no one related to you, you come… You can't leave the house without seeing somebody you know." - Sydney Baptie (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich)

Junior forward Sydney Baptie (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) is in her third year at Utica University, but despite spending the past few years on a bustling college campus, she still vividly remembers the small-town familiarity that made Greenwich home.

In a community where a walk down the street almost guarantees a familiar face, relationships are built everywhere. But in Greenwich, perhaps nowhere are those connections stronger than on the athletic fields.

From an early age, Baptie grew up alongside the teammates and coaches she would compete with throughout her childhood. Those relationships followed her well beyond her days wearing the green and black. When she arrived at Utica for her junior season, she was reunited with two former Greenwich teammates - senior midfielder Jocelyn Spiezio (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) and freshman defender Olivia Davis (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich).

For the three Greenwich graduates, their connection did not begin at Utica. It was forged years earlier, through countless practices, games, bus rides, and shared experiences in a community where many of the same athletes grow up together and continue competing alongside one another through high school.

That familiarity helped shape more than just their athletic careers. It gave Baptie, Spiezio and Davis a shared understanding of what it means to be part of a team, a school and a community,  lessons they have now carried with them from Greenwich to Utica.

All three grew up in a place where teammates became lifelong friends, where older athletes helped guide those coming behind them, and where the success of one team could become a source of pride for an entire town.

Small Town Ties

"Jossie (Spiezio) and I definitely played a lot together growing up; her dad was my first T-ball coach." - Sydney Baptie (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich)

In Greenwich, being a teammate often means being a teammate for life.

Baptie and Spiezio are a perfect example. Their relationship began long before either could have imagined playing collegiate field hockey together. They grew up competing alongside one another, surrounded by many of the same coaches, families, and friends, building relationships that extended far beyond the field.



That continuity is a defining characteristic of Greenwich athletics. Athletes have the opportunity to grow up together, learn from the same coaches and receive support from the same families and community members throughout their careers. The age gaps that might separate athletes in larger communities can feel much smaller in Greenwich, where younger athletes can quickly find themselves competing alongside those they once looked up to.

Davis experienced that firsthand.

"I was brought up to varsity in 7th grade, so I got to play the majority of my career with both of them (Spiezio & Baptie)."

By the time the three eventually arrived at Utica, they had already spent years building the foundation of their relationship. And when the time came to decide whether field hockey would remain part of their lives after high school, they once again turned to each other.

Baptie had already made up her mind that she was not ready to walk away from the sport.

"I had decided I didn't want to stop playing field hockey… the thought of stopping, I figured, I don't think I'm ready to finish playing. That's when I talked to Jossie."

Davis found herself having a similar realization after her senior season.

"I didn't know I wanted to play field hockey until my senior season was done, and I was like, 'wow, I just can't stop', and so I talked to Joss a lot, but I also talked to her sister since she played college field hockey and was my coach this past year."

The connections formed in Greenwich did not stop at the town line. They followed these athletes into college, creating new opportunities to share the sport they had grown up playing, sometimes with the people they had known their entire lives.

For Spiezio, one of those opportunities came in 2023, when she faced her older sister, Arianna, for the first time in a collegiate match. Arianna had played at Skidmore, making the matchup feel like a reunion with home for Spiezio.

"My sister went to Skidmore, so that's basically like home. It was just a fun game playing against her and then all of her teammates that I knew because they were from places so close to home. We also had a ton of family; Syd (Baptie) came out for that game… that was just a lot of fun."

It was a fitting moment for an athlete whose journey had always been shaped by the people around her. The same relationships that began on the fields of Greenwich had followed Spiezio to the collegiate level, where old teammates, family members, and familiar faces continued to find ways to be part of her journey.

For Baptie, Spiezio, and Davis, the path to the next level may have taken them away from Greenwich, but it never took them away from the connections that made the town special.

Those small-town ties came with them


.

Growing Up in Greenwich

"Everybody plays a sport. Just like how here (at Utica), a majority of our student body plays a sport. At home, everybody plays a sport, or two, or five. It's very athletic-driven at home." - Sydney Baptie (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich)

In the Capital Region, athletics are more than a competition. They are a way of life.

For athletes growing up in the area, being part of a team means more than chasing wins. It means developing camaraderie, supporting the people around you, and understanding that everyone has a role in the success of the group.

For the three Greenwich graduates at Utica, those lessons have followed them well beyond the green and black, providing a foundation they can carry into college, their careers and whatever comes next.

Utica field hockey head coach Nikki Hobaica has seen those qualities firsthand throughout her years recruiting, coaching and playing alongside athletes from Section II.

"It is the life you've always known. It goes a little bit deeper than just everyone having played a sport. That's why you feel like you belong; that's why you feel like this place (Utica) is homey; that's why it's a puzzle that you seamlessly fit into. It's not something you have to fight against."

For Hobaica, the connection between Utica and the Capital Region was established long before the current generation of Pioneers arrived on campus. It began with a family from Greenwich that helped open the door to a much larger network of Section II athletes: the Whitehouses.

"It started with my head coach, Sarah (Elleman), bringing Sam (Whitehouse) in, but then that connection had a sort of trickle-down effect and really opened the door, you know, not just to Greenwich and their school specifically, but I really think to just the greater 518 area."

Sabrina and Samantha Whitehouse became impactful figures within the Utica University Pioneer Athletic Department during the mid-to-late 2010s, excelling in multiple sports and earning major departmental honors during their time in the orange and blue.

Their impact, however, extended well beyond their own careers.

The connection they helped establish has continued to grow, becoming a significant source of strength for the Pioneers. The 2026 roster features seven Section II graduates, each bringing a history of athletic success and community support from the eastern side of the state.

For the three Greenwich graduates, the Whitehouses helped put Utica back on the radar in their hometown. Years after the Whitehouses first made their mark in the orange and blue, Baptie, Spiezio and Davis followed a familiar path.

from Greenwich to Utica, carrying with them the same passion for athletics and the same community-first mentality that had defined their upbringing

Moose-ifest Destiny

"I always said that if I could figure out what that special thing is, I'd be the best recruiter in the world… that feeling you can't put a label on, that feeling you can't describe and you don't get a sense of until you're here and you're in it… when kids are back on campus in the fall, and it's lively, it's just special, that's Utica." - Coach Hobaica

Coach Hobaica, who also enjoyed a stellar playing career at Utica, winning three straight Empire 8 Championships and making three consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, often talks about the atmosphere that makes the Pioneer experience so difficult to replicate. She believes that feeling is a major reason student-athletes across Utica's 23 varsity programs ultimately choose to call the university home.

For the three Greenwich girls, that feeling was impossible to miss.

"I came out for a visit and I think I put my deposit in the next day," Baptie said. "I got to meet a lot of people, and it was just a good time. Every other school I looked at just didn't compare with once I stayed here."

Davis, the most recent of the three to commit to Utica, had a similar experience. After touring the nursing program and athletics facilities, she began to see the Pioneers as a strong fit both academically and athletically.

"After touring the nursing stuff and seeing that the facilities for athletics are better compared to a bunch of the other Division III's, I thought, we have a pretty good [thing] here," Davis said. "And then I did my overnight; that's when I knew, okay, I want to come here."

Spiezio, the first of the three to commit, found that same connection during her visit.

"I toured the school first and then the opportunity of playing field hockey came up. So then I did an overnight… and then the vibe and the culture that all the girls had, and how close they were just made me feel like I want to be a part of this team."

While each Greenwich athlete arrived at her decision in a slightly different way, their experiences shared one important common thread - a familiar face from the Capital Region who has played a significant role in connecting athletes with the Pioneers: Coach Meg Chamberlain.
 

The Section II Connection

"The recruiting in the 518 is Coach Meg. Our goalie coach… Outside of the Whitehouses and the work that they really did for us off of the field, it's (the Section II success) also attributed to a lot of what Meg did and her family too. Her parents eat, sleep, and breathe this place as well. And they weren't afraid to tell people that. And they are all a huge part of just getting us recognition in that area." - Coach Hobaica

Coach Chamberlain, a Queensbury graduate, has been instrumental in strengthening the Section II ties that are now woven throughout the Pioneer roster. For each of the three Greenwich girls, their first connection with the Utica field hockey program came primarily through Chamberlain, who has steadily worked her way up through the university since graduation and was recently promoted to Associate Director of Enrollment Marketing & Communication.

Chamberlain has become one of the program's most recognizable connections to the Capital Region, helping introduce prospective student-athletes to the same special qualities that drew her to Utica. Her influence can be seen throughout the current roster, which features South Glens Falls graduates Mia Benincasa (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls) and Lauren Durfey (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls), Johnstown native Gabby Chase (Johnstown, NY/Johnstown) and Queensbury graduate Gianna Marcantonio (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury), who, like Chamberlain, once suited up for the Spartans. Chase has already made an immediate impact, scoring twice through the Pioneers' first three games.

That concentration of Section II talent has provided more than a recruiting advantage. It has also created opportunities for the Pioneers to build relationships before they ever stepped onto the turf in orange and blue. Many of the athletes were already familiar with one another through high school competition, shared communities, and the tightly connected nature of Section II athletics.

Davis experienced that firsthand during her senior season at Greenwich, when she faced two of her future teammates.

"I played Gianna (Marcantonio), we scrimmaged Queensbury before our postseason, so I got to play her. Obviously she's amazing. And then Gabby Chase (Johnstown, NY/Johnstown), we played them twice. We played them as our first game of the season and then we played them in the semi-finals. This was the first year I've played against G, but Gabby, I played against her my whole high school career because we always play against Johnstown."

Those connections have helped make the transition to Utica feel a little more familiar for the Greenwich trio. Baptie said discovering that Benincasa and Durfey were close added another layer of comfort when she arrived on campus.

"When I realized they were close (Benincasa and Durfey), coming here, it felt a little more homey to me. We could talk about Saratoga. We could talk about this. There's places we've all been, where, we could've been here at the same time and had no idea who each other were, which I think is kind of cool."

For the Pioneers, the Section II connection has become more than a recruiting pipeline. It has become another way for athletes from different corners of the Capital Region to find common ground and, once they arrive in Utica, to find another place they can call home.
 

The Perfect Place

"It's just the perfect spot, especially for where we live, it's the perfect drive home. It's too far where I'm not gonna just go home on a Saturday and come back Saturday night. It's just the perfect distance for us. It's a great drive. I think that is also a very big key factor." - Sydney Baptie (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich)

For the three Greenwich graduates, Utica is more than just a place to continue their athletic careers. It offers something particularly valuable to athletes from the Capital Region: the opportunity to experience college life while remaining close enough to the people and communities that helped shape them.

Spiezio believes that balance is one of the university's biggest advantages.
"As an athlete, that drive makes it easy for your families to come out and see your games, so you still have support, but you don't have the pull to go home every single day, which helps you get the full college experience."

For Davis, who is only a few weeks into her first semester at Utica, that sense of familiarity has extended beyond the proximity to Greenwich. She has already noticed similarities between the Pioneer community and the one she grew up in.

"I think the community here, it's very similar to back home, which is nice."

For an athlete raised in Greenwich, that may be the highest praise Utica can receive.



The same tight-knit support system that surrounded Baptie, Spiezio and Davis throughout their childhood is still within reach in Utica. Family members can make the drive to watch them compete, hometown connections remain close enough to continue, and the Pioneers provide an opportunity to build a new community without completely leaving the old one behind.

For the Greenwich trio, Utica has become the perfect distance from home - far enough to grow, but close enough to remember where they came from.
 

Greenwich: A Winning Culture

"You start young, and you watch the people before you and think, I want to do that. Then the people before you also help you get there. Everyone's so close that you get lessons from the people before you, teach the people below you. It's all connected, and it just helps build it up." - Jocelyn Spiezio (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich)

In many ways, Spiezio's words tell the story of Greenwich better than any description could. It is a town where athletics are woven into the fabric of the community, and where being part of a team often means learning from those who came before you and eventually becoming a mentor to those who follow.

Athletes from different age groups, sports, and teams are connected by a shared commitment to the success of the entire district. That continuity is one of the defining characteristics of Greenwich athletics, with many athletes competing alongside the same group of teammates from youth sports through high school graduation.

Baptie has seen that continuity firsthand, even within her own family.

"When my brother played youth football, they won their youth Super Bowl, and then that same exact team is the team that made it to the state championship for the last two years. That was very special because we watched them all grow."

Davis, a recent Greenwich graduate, experienced that same sense of continuity throughout her own childhood.

"Most of the people that I graduated with were kids that I met in preschool and went through school with."

Those relationships do more than create lifelong friendships. They establish a culture in which athletes are expected to support one another, regardless of age, sport or team. Younger athletes have role models to look up to, while older athletes have an opportunity to pass along the lessons they learned along the way.

That cycle of support has helped create a deep sense of pride among Greenwich athletes - a feeling that extends beyond graduation and follows them wherever they go next.

When asked whether growing up in Greenwich helped prepare them for life beyond high school, the answer from all three was immediate.

"Oh definitely."

"For sure."

"Yeah, I'm definitely proud of it."
 

Greenwich: A Winning Community

"Seeing the people that came out when we were in the state championship was like insane. The bleachers at Hudson Valley were huge. To see more than half of those were green and white… I think the whole town was there." - Olivia Davis (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich)

The culture of cooperation in Greenwich extends far beyond the boundaries of the playing field. On gamedays, athletes can routinely look into the stands and find an entire community cheering them on. That support has helped Baptie, Spiezio and Davis understand what it means to build a winning culture, one rooted in inclusivity, strengthened by passion, and driven by a genuine desire to see friends, teammates and neighbors succeed.

Even after graduating, Baptie continues to make the trip back to support Greenwich's teams. Her younger brother, who graduated last year, spent the past two seasons making deep postseason runs with the football team, giving Baptie another reason to return to the community that raised her.

"My brother played football, he graduated last year. The last two years, they went all the way to the state semifinals. I followed them right along. I was home every weekend after our season ended. I grew up with football because my dad is one of the assistant coaches. So I'm at every game, but the community just shows up. It doesn't really matter what event it is; everybody's there."

Baptie isn't exaggerating when she says everybody shows up. Spiezio has seen the same commitment firsthand, describing a town where entire gamedays can revolve around supporting the Witches.

"I feel like a lot of things in our town shut down for those games. A lot of things are closed because everyone's going, or they're doing watch parties."

Davis experienced that level of support herself just months ago, playing a significant role in Greenwich's run to the 2026 NYSPHSAA Girls Basketball Class C State Championship. With the title game taking place at nearby Hudson Valley Community College, the Witches had an opportunity to see their community rally around them once again.

"When she was in the state finals, they canceled school," Baptie said.

"Yeah, it was a Friday, and we had a snow day. So the whole school could come and watch, which was really crazy," Davis added.



That kind of school-wide support was nothing new for the Greenwich trio. Spiezio and Davis were both significant contributors to the 2023 Greenwich girls basketball team that reached the NYSPHSAA Class C State Championship, while Baptie returned to the team for her senior season in 2024. Throughout those postseason runs, the athletes saw just how far their community was willing to go to support them.

"The way our school at home is set up, there's a straight road that leads up to the locker rooms. And then up at the locker room there's a big circle where the buses pick us up. Any postseason game, the entire street is lined with posters, and everybody cheers as the bus drives through. The entire town has fat heads and posters on every single flagpole, phone pole, everything. Facebook is also crazy. It doesn't matter how far away the game is; everybody is there."

That support starts at the top, too. Greenwich Superintendent Dr. Jennifer L. Steimle has become a familiar presence at Witches athletic events, making the commitment to show up for her student-athletes alongside parents, classmates and community members.

"Our superintendent at home will not miss anything. For the field hockey championship, she rode the buses with them," Baptie said.

"Yeah, when we went to the regional game for field hockey this year, she rode the charter bus with us to the game," Davis added.

For Baptie, Spiezio and Davis, this was simply the environment they grew up in. They learned from an early age that being part of a team meant supporting the people around you, and that a school's success could become a community's success.

Now, those lessons have followed them to Utica.

The Pioneer field hockey program has become increasingly tight-knit, and the Greenwich trio has helped bring with them the same mentality they experienced growing up: show up for one another, celebrate one another and make the people around you better.
 

Utica: Where Culture and Community Combine

"Our community reflects directly on how we support our teammates. I think all three of us are very, very supportive teammates. If something happens, it's okay to brush it off and move on to the next one. Doesn't matter anymore; it's in the past." - Sydney Baptie (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich)

Since graduation, the three Greenwich athletes have taken their talents to Utica University, where they have found a community that mirrors many of the values they learned growing up. The lessons instilled in them from a young age have helped make the transition to collegiate athletics feel natural, allowing the trio to build strong relationships with their teammates and contribute to the close-knit culture that now defines the Pioneer field hockey program.

Spiezio may have summed it up best: "Being taught from young to old, you did not take it out on your teammates at all. You are one; you are a family; you're together… I feel like we've brought that here also."

As the oldest of the three, Spiezio has had the longest view of the program's evolution. Since joining the team in the fall of 2023, she has watched the culture grow into something she is proud to be a part of. That transformation, she said, came through intentional effort both on and off the field.

"It took a lot of team bonding. It took a lot of us being together and hanging out and just rebuilding from what it was, and us noticing this needs to change," Spiezio said. "Putting in the work with the coaches help and just rebuilding that to what it is now, where you can personally see any of the girls you're excited to see any of them. We all hang out. Everyone wants to be together."

That mentality is something Hobaica believes the Greenwich athletes brought with them. In a small community, she explained, teammates are more than just people you see between practices and games. They are neighbors, classmates, coworkers and familiar faces you will encounter long after the final whistle.

"At the end of that game, you're going home with your neighbor next door, right? You still have to live amongst these people that you see literally every single day of your life," Hobaica said. "Whereas if you went to a bigger school, that's where you can get away with stuff like that because you're not deeply rooted in that community with that person. But these are your neighbors, these are your customers, these are your coworkers."

That sense of accountability has followed the Greenwich trio to Utica. The result is a group of athletes who understand that success is not only about what happens during a game, but also about how teammates treat one another when things do not go according to plan.

With that mindset taking hold and an influx of talented athletes from throughout the Capital Region, the Pioneer field hockey program is building something that extends beyond the scoreboard - a culture rooted in connection, resilience, and a commitment to one another.
 

The Future of Utica Field Hockey

"I know I've only been here for like 2 weeks, but the culture is like so different. I mean, obviously back home it was different too, but the energy that everyone brings on the team no matter what, is insane to me." - Olivia Davis (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich)

Even in her first few weeks with the program, Davis could already feel a difference. Spiezio, now in the midst of her final season, echoed that sentiment, pointing to the connection she has seen develop within the team.

"This is the most connected team I've ever played with," Spiezio said. "I feel like you can see it on the field, how we talk a ton. We communicate more than we have in my four years being here. We are a team, all together, and the support we give each other is great."

That connection has translated into a team that has shown plenty of character through the opening weeks of the 2026 season. For Baptie, the way the Pioneers conduct themselves on the field is another reflection of the lessons they learned growing up in Greenwich.

"Being known by your character is just like how Greenwich is. I've never seen sportsmanship like Greenwich," Baptie said. "We don't get angry. We don't throw things. We just kind of turn around, and we're back in our own space."

That composure and resiliency have already paid dividends. The Pioneers came within inches of securing a statement victory over a powerful St. Lawrence squad, holding off the Saints' attack for more than 60 minutes through a collective defensive effort. They have continued to improve with each match, standing toe-to-toe with tough competition in Skidmore and Oneonta while remaining committed to one another.

The next opportunity comes at home, as the Pioneers welcome RPI to Gaetano Stadium for their home opener on Saturday at noon.

But the growth of this team extends beyond the field. As the Greenwich trio has discovered, the same sense of community that surrounds athletics back home can also be found throughout Utica University. Athletes, students, professors and members of the local community routinely come together to support the Pioneers, creating an environment where athletes can feel connected to something larger than themselves.

For Baptie, Spiezio and Davis, that feeling is familiar. They grew up in a community where everyone showed up, where teammates became family, and where the success of one team could bring an entire town together. Now, they are helping bring that same mentality to Utica.

The Mohawk Valley may be many miles from Greenwich, but the message remains the same: show up, support one another and be part of something bigger.

"Every person, every game, every team."
 
 
 
 Be sure to follow the team on social media!

Field hockey Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uticafieldhockey/
Utica Athletics Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/utica_pioneers/?hl=en