Senior midfielder Annie Onzik said she came to Ithaca College on a whim.

“At first it wasn’t really in the scheme of what I wanted to do,” Onzik said. “It had an established physical therapy program, so I finally made the decision to come to school here.”

With eyes set on starting college at Ithaca, Onzik decided that playing field hockey her freshman year was not an option for her — she never really considered playing a sport in college. She settled on finishing out her playing career at Bishop O’Reilly High School in Shavertown, Pa.

But as her freshman year progressed, Onzik found that she was missing the game.  Though she was satisfied with her choice of college, she began to miss field hockey.

“It was throughout that first year that I realized how much I missed playing the game — being on a team,” Onzik said. “It really pushed me to try out for the team the next season.”

Onzik made the team as a sophomore in 2007 and became an immediate presence for the Bombers. She played in all but three games and secured herself as an important midfielder both on offense and defense.

It was in her junior year that Onzik stepped up as a central player to the Bombers’ success. Playing in 14 games in 2008, she had seven goals and four assists, totaling 18 points. She helped the Blue and Gold achieve their best record since 2003.

Onzik was also recognized by the Empire 8 for her excellent play. She was an All-Empire 8 second-team selection, giving Onzik her first all-conference recognition.

This year, both the Bombers and Onzik are out to a hot start. Her team voted her captain for the 2009 season, and in just four games, she has accumulated three goals with just seven shots on goal. She has helped her teammates score twice with two assists and has totaled eight points.

“She’s a big presence on our team, on the field and off the field,” junior back Key Fox said. “She knows when to push people and get everybody going.”

The Blue and Gold have not only gotten a push from Onzik offensively, but through her leadership, she has proven to be an integral part of the team this season as well.

“I try to focus on being a leader, setting the tone and coming out hard,” Onzik said. “I try to help everyone with communication because lots of talk makes things a lot easier.”

Junior forward Katherine Brown said Onzik is a captain that leads by example.

“She would never ask you to do something that she wouldn’t be able to do first,” Brown said. “That’s what makes her such a great leader.”

Onzik may have taken a year off to start her college career, but ever since she returned to the game, she has lit up the field, playing aggressively and taking advantage of every scoring opportunity.

“‘Early and often,’ that’s what she says before every whistle,” Brown said. “It’s always reassuring to have Annie behind you on the field and ready for anything that comes her way.”    

Box Score - Ithaca vs #18 William Smith (09/16/09 at Geneva, N.Y.)