Great strides for Eastern's Santore

Eastern junior Nikki Santore knows that this is her time to shine on the nation's No. 1 high school field hockey team.

And she's certainly making the most of it.

Santore has proved herself to be a top forward for the Vikings this season, recording 35 goals and leading the team with 26 assists.

But it wasn't until this year that she received a starting spot on the varsity field. In fact, she waited two years for this opportunity after bouncing between the varsity and junior varsity.

Now, Eastern coach Danyle Heilig has ventured to say that Santore "is probably one of the best forwards in South Jersey, if not the state."

"She needed to do more work to get better and she did that, and it paid off in big ways," Heilig said.

Santore's wait for playing time seems to have been worthwhile, as she now is running alongside some of the nation's best players, including three national-team members senior Austyn Cuneo, junior Madison Morano, and sophomore Mackenzie Keegan.

"My offensive line this year may be one of the strongest offensive lines I've ever put on the field," Heilig said.

That's saying a lot, considering Heilig has won 15 consecutive state titles with the program. With the team at 15-0, she's well on her way to winning another.

"Everyone knows what the expectation is," Santore said of playing on the Vikings. "Every single day, we have to bring a 100 percent effort. [Heilig] doesn't expect anything less, and we don't want to give her anything less. We don't want to disappoint her, and we want to keep the tradition going."

Storming the field with a desire for her team to score, Santore still looks to pass the ball for the best scoring opportunity rather than hold it herself.

On the other end of the field, she uses her defensive skills to get back and hold off opposing players from nearing the net.

"In the offseason, I really worked hard to pick up my skill," Santore said of becoming a key player for the Vikings.

"I knew that I would have to step up, so I was just focusing on that and helping my team this year."

Santore's contributions go beyond offense and defense, too, as she provides a role model for the team's younger girls. She tries to pick them up and teach them the ways of the program, she said.

"She's been big for us in a lot of ways from scoring to assisting, to just her dynamic, relentless play from end line to end line," Heilig said. "She's really been a crucial player for us."

With the final stretch of the season quickly approaching, Santore knows she will have to take on an even bigger role ahead: filling the hole that senior Cuneo, the nation's leading all-time goal-scorer, will leave behind upon her graduation.

As far as plugging that gap next year, Santore had only two words:

"I'm ready."