Following her being named as the FTHS September Athlete of the Month, the Patriot Press interviewed Field Hockey sensation Nyla Cruz!

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First of all, congratulations! Is this your first time winning Athlete of the Month?

– Yes.

Awesome! What position do you play?

– I play right, inner forward.

What’s the most challenging aspect of playing there and what do you like most about it?

– The most challenging aspect is being able to stay focused and mentally being prepared for what’s about to happen in the game. Using both your mental parts and physical parts is huge. Perceive what you’re trying to do in the game and help yourself and your team get somewhere.

What’s your favorite part about field hockey? 

– My favorite part of field hockey is definitely my teammates. Being with the whole team, they are all just so much fun. Their energy is off the roof. They’re so funny. They literally cheer for everything. Just being around everybody is my favorite part by far.

Do you have a favorite game or memory at Township specifically?

– My favorite game was actually this year. It was our first game and we were playing Manasquan. It went to overtime. The score was 1-1. And, I think about 5 minutes into the game, there was a breakaway and the ball went all the way down the field and I took it. It was just me against one player. I pulled right around the player and shot the ball into the goal and it went in. It was a pretty cool moment.

Do you have any pre-game superstitions or rituals?

– Definitely music. I love listening to music before a game because I feel like I really use that time to clear everybody out and use the music to help myself up.

Do you have a favorite musician?

– I feel like in games rap music. But, I like listening to everything. I make the playlist for everybody and put in all our music.

What do you like to do in the offseason?

– During the summer, I try to get myself prepared by going to any camps I can find. Field hockey wasn’t my first sport, it was something I picked up in middle school. But, I really enjoy it, so I do my best to learn more about it and find more camps. This year I went to a Jersey Intensity camp with all these people that I had no idea who they were and I showed up by myself just to get better in any way I can.

It paid off! How did you get into field hockey? You mentioned that you were relatively new to it?

– I never knew it was a sport until fourth grade when one of the players, senior Liv Smith, said she was going to play it in middle school. I was like, “What’s that?” So, when we were in the summer of fifth grade going into sixth grade, she taught me and her sister, Sienna, the basics of the game and we all started playing. In my first game for middle school, I started. The coach put me in defense. That wasn’t normal for a sixth grader. Since then, I’ve started loving the sport. My coach made it so much fun and I love it.

What’s something interesting that people don’t know about you?

– Whenever I have time to, I really like reading and drawing. I don’t do it a lot because I never have time but that’s a little hobby that I like to do on the side.

Do you have a favorite author?

– This is kind of silly but my favorite author is Marie Lu. She made the Legends series which was the first book that really got me into reading in middle school.

If you could like anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

– It would be Texas. My family that I’m really close with and have the most fun with, they all live over there. They’re also Hawaiian and go to Hawaii sometimes so I wouldn’t mind going with them.

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Here were Nyla’s accomplishments in September:

• Game-winning goal in overtime vs. Manasquan on Opening Day
• 3 goals, 6 assists in September (56% of team’s goals)

Here’s what Coach Latz had to say about Nyla: “Nyla is the spark that fuels our team. She has the energy, speed, and hunger that ignites the rest of her teammates. Always vocal and positive, everyone feeds off her leadership and ability on the field. She is a force, to say the least.”