Defense is Frankowski’s game

As the opposition mounted its charge, she stood there like a soldier armed with a spatula.

She spread her feet wide, and her back lowered on such a steep grade that her chin hovered just a few feet off the ground.

With a meager eye shield as her lone protection, Tyler Frankowski slouched low to the goal line, becoming the last line of defense.

In front of her stood a goalie who wore enough padding to turn a walk into a waddle, yet it was Frankowski who covered the net.

Fear must certainly have built as she left herself vulnerable to the shots that blazed near.

"No, I had stitches from my chin before," said Frankowski, a senior defender for Audubon's field hockey team. "I'm not really afraid."

Tuesday, the 5-foot-10 defender aided Miranda Mistalski in goal by stepping in behind her and blocking a few shots herself as Audubon downed Holy Cross in the Central Jersey Group 4 quarterfinals.

"She's so solid both physically and verbally," Audubon coach Thea Ricci said of Frankowski. "Her verbal leadership is huge. She constantly talks."

Ricci said Frankowski is her "eyes and ears on the field," as she sees the senior as a coach on the field.

Each time the team huddles before halftime or during a timeout, Ricci asks Frankowski her opinion on a certain play or strategy.

"She sees everything in the back," Ricci said. "And I say something and she either agrees with me or says, 'No, Coach, I think someone is doing this.' "

On Friday, the Green Wave will travel to New Egypt for a Central Jersey Group 4 semifinal.

Another playoff game will bring another early dismissal from school for the team.

"Plus, I want to win," Frankowski said. "That's not the only reason."

Before they leave for a game, it's tradition to gather in a classroom and watch clips from the movie Miracle.

In the winter, Frankowski transitions her defensive prowess onto the basketball court. A bruising power forward who doesn't shy away from contact, Frankowski said defense is her passion in both sports.

Ricci said Frankowski's passion for defense is an intangible that makes her easy to coach.

While her teammates progress into the offensive end, Frankowski stands by her lonesome at midfield.

Pacing left to right, right to left, Frankowski closely watches the play develop in front of her while shouting instructions and encouragement to her teammates.

"It leaves a positive message throughout the entire game," Frankowski said. "Picking them up if we ever get down, and so they know I'm here for them."

After the win Tuesday, Frankowski retreated to her team's sidelines.

The girl who had stood in the net, daring shots to hit her in the face, reached into her travel bag and casually swapped her spikes and shin pads for a pair of Ugg boots. She had a bus to catch back to Audubon.