Luli Gomez Teruel, a native of Argentina, won multiple field hockey championships playing for teams in her home country. She’s looking to do the same here in Athens.
Teruel played for Popeye Beisbol Club in the National League of Field Hockey — the premier league for club field hockey teams in the country. While on the team, her team placed third in 2008, second in 2010, and won the league title in 2011. She also won titles for her home province of Salta at the amateur level.
But now she is a member of the Mid-American Conference favorite Bobcats and is trying to adjust to the American style of play.
“The defensive style is completely different,” Teruel said. “That’s the big thing that I have to get used to.”
Ohio coach Neil Macmillan said there was a definite difference in philosophy between the Argentine defense and the defense played in the NCAA.
“She has to adjust from how they play zonal defense over there and how we play man-to-man in our system,” Macmillan said. “She’ll need some work on that, but otherwise she’s picking up the game wonderfully.”
She first thought of Ohio University when one of her friends from Argentina gave her former assistant coach Kelly Terwilliger’s email address. Her friend had come to the United States the previous year to play for Old Dominion.
Macmillan saw Teruel play on video, he saw the raw skill that she had, and jumped at the opportunity to recruit her.
“I sent her an email with my resume, videos and highlights from my past few years,” Teruel said. “Then I talked with some of the coaches over the phone, and suddenly I was here.”
Since she came as a transfer, she’s limited to two years with the Bobcats field hockey program. Regardless, Macmillan is looking forward to what she can bring to the table.
“I think she’s very talented and that’s something we can always use around here,” Macmillan said. “She’s just a very good addition to what we’re building.”
Senior teammate Marissa Higgins is thrilled with how well Luli is getting into the groove of American field hockey and the college life in Athens.
“Off the field, we moved her into her apartments at the Summit and she really seems to love it,” Higgins said. “And she fits on to the team really well. Luli’s a blast to play with and really works hard to get better.”
Teruel — who looks to major in theatre — said she’s looking forward to the opportunity to get better as a player under coach Macmillan and enjoying the American college experience.
“I have only two years but I want to have fun here and help the team get as far as possible,” she said. “I just hope I can do well in my classes because that’s very important too.”
She started off her collegiate field hockey career by collecting her first assist as a Bobcat in a victory against Colgate.
ch203310@ohiou.edu
