Among the things Whangarei, New Zealand is best known for, two perhaps stand out more than most. The capital of the Northland Region is the home of country star Keith Urban and is a breeding ground for field hockey talent.
Whangarei is also the birthplace of Boston University field hockey freshman Jacinda McLeod, born in the same hospital as assistant coach Tracey Paul. That coincidence was the beginning of McLeod’s journey to Boston.
‘I think Tracey found Jacinda on a recruiting website, actually, and made contact with Jacinda, established a good relationship with Jacinda,’ BU coach Sally Starr said. ‘We were just fortunate enough to have Jacinda make the big decision to travel halfway around the world and go after an education and help us to really pursue a national championship.’
That’s no exaggeration. Nearly 9,000 miles separate Boston and Whangarei (pronounced fahn-gah-ray), the northern most city in New Zealand.
Despite the distance, McLeod was pursued, a credit to her personality just as much as for her abilities.
‘She’s extremely talented, but she’s very humble with that. She’s hard working,’ Starr said. ‘She’s as important to us in the locker room than she is on the hockey field, and when you find a student-athlete like that, that’s a great combination to have.’
McLeod’s humility is a result of her field-hockey background.
‘I started playing hockey, field hockey, when I was about three years old,’ McLeod said. ‘Born into a field hockey family, well my dad played, and I’ve pretty much played since then ‘-‘- forever.’
Calling the McLeods a field hockey family is like calling the Kennedys a political family. According to her bio on GoTerriers.com, Jacinda’s uncle was a gold medalist for New Zealand at the1976 Olympics. And Grant McLeod, Jacinda’s father, also played on the national team and was ‘regarded as the top defender in the world at his peak,’ according to the bio. He served as assistant coach with the New Zealand Junior World Cup team, held in Boston this summer, where Jacinda played, as well.
Regardless of her rich family history, it can be difficult for freshmen to be on their own in a new environment without family. After all, McLeod will only turn 18 next Friday. One teammate who can commiserate with adjusting to life in a new country is senior co-captain Nikki Lloyd, who hails from Kent, England.
‘I think, like any international student, it’s hard for the first semester or so, because it’s so different,’ Lloyd said. ‘But I think whenever she’s having a hard time, she’s got her teammates and stuff, and different coaches, and Tracy’s from New Zealand as well, so she talks to her about it. I think she’s okay.’
McLeod’s safety net and comfort zone indeed come on the hockey field, and it’s easy to forget she’s only a rookie. McLeod has started every game for the Terriers, with the only exception being a suspension for failing to wear her mouth guard in early September. She has rebounded from her mistake to have an outstanding freshman campaign.
Statistically, McLeod has made a significant impact. She finished the regular season second on the team in points (16) on the strength of two assists and team-high six goals (tied with Lloyd and fellow freshman Nicole van Oosterom). Three of those tallies were game-winners, good for second in the conference. McLeod also earned both GoTerriers.com Student-Athlete of the Week for Sept. 22 and America East Rookie of the Week for Oct. 19.
But numbers and awards don’t tell the whole story of McLeod’s contributions. Starr dubbed her as the quarterback of BU’s squad earlier this season. Her work in the backfield, stopping opponents’ attacks and defending corners has been invaluable to BU’s fortunes.
‘I think what I love about Jacinda is that, from the beginning, she did not feel like a freshman, as a teammate or as a hockey player,’ Starr said. ‘I think she adjusted really well. She’s very talented as a hockey player. . . . It’s just her experience in the backfield, her skill, her decision making. She’s a natural leader.’
Perhaps more importantly, this sentiment is echoed by her teammates.
‘You wouldn’t think that anyone who’s only been on the team for a few months or so could mean so much, but she does,’ Lloyd said. ‘She’s solid in the back and she’s a great teammate, and if we didn’t have her, we’d definitely be lacking.’
Much was still lacking this year for BU field hockey. Facing a brutal schedule and deprived of two seniors to injury and ineligibility, the team was left with a youth-driven lineup and a losing record at year’s end, finishing at 8-11. The emergence of McLeod and the freshmen class could not have come at better time for the Terriers.
‘I hate to use the word that we’re rebuilding, but we’re rebuilding a little bit. We’re so young,’ Starr said. ‘But with having such a young team and such a talented team, I really feel that she’s going to be a player who, because of her skill set, tactical knowledge, just really going to be able to help get us to win a national championship, maybe more than one in her four years.’
The next step to achieving that lofty goal begins this weekend in the America East Tournament in Albany, N.Y., where No. 2 seeded BU will face the University of Maine. Yet, it’s also important to remember that McLeod has goals in mind to accomplish during her academic career as a whole and beyond, on and off the field.
‘Just improve my overall level of fitness and athleticism, get a degree from BU, and just become a better person from the experiences I have.
‘ ‘To play for New Zealand in a couple of Olympics like my dad, and get a good job, settle down, get married,’ he said with a laugh. ‘I’m not sure.’
A journey of a thousand miles ‘- or in this case, 9,000 miles ‘- still begins with a single step.
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