Senior Savannah Peterson was recently named to the Class 3 Field Hockey All-State team. Peterson holds a new state record of 655 saves during her field hockey seasons. She has been on the team since the 2021 season when she was in 8th grade.
“My participation in the sport honestly started out as a wish to play on the lacrosse team. All of my friends who played lacrosse in the spring played field hockey in the fall and kept trying to convince me to join. If it wasn’t for Mrs. [Amy] Bower, my 8th grade English teacher and the team’s assistant coach, I may never have joined the team,” said Peterson. “She was the final voice that pushed me towards joining,” she added.
Peterson said she was still unsure about joining the field hockey team. “It was a totally new sport that I had no background in. My mom played lacrosse and I’ve been swimming for years, so I was very familiar with the two other sports I played. Field hockey…not so much. I will say the team environment was always amazing. It helped that I had many close friends on the team,” she said.
When Peterson joined the team, she didn’t go into it wanting to be a goalie. “There is actually a super funny story behind me becoming the goalie. It was picture day for the field hockey team. I had already picked out my jersey number, #10, and I was fully planning on being a field player,” she said. “I was sitting down at a table with some of my friends and a couple varsity players and they started talking about how if JV couldn’t find a goalie then they would have to suspend the team. I decided to crack a very bad joke, and basically said, ‘Oh, put me in goal’.”
At that point, Peterson said, everyone at the table took her seriously. “In the blink of an eye, I watched everyone at the table disappear to grab the two varsity goalies and Coach Payne, and they all started shouting how I volunteered to be the JV goalie. I thought they were messing with me until I showed up to practice and there was a shiny new bag of goalie gear waiting for me, as well as the goalie coach, Coach Bobbi. If I could go back, I would make that bad joke every single time” she said.
Peterson said she was absolutely delighted to be named First Team All-District, and the Class 3c player of the year. “It is such an honor. Fluvanna is in a very competitive district. We play against teams who have had field hockey programs for decades now and almost always go onto the state championship. All of these teams have amazing girls whose skills easily land them as some of the best in the state. Being picked above all of them as player of the year, and as the single choice for First Team goalkeeper is such a feat,” she said.
She explained that she admires all of the girls who compete in the Jefferson District, noting their hard work and shots that she says make her a better goalkeeper. “I must also say I never saw myself getting recognized for All-State. I was even surprised by my First Team All Region pick. Many of the coaches who selected me for such an honor haven’t even had the ability to see me play in person, but they heard of my character and stats from coaches who did, and decided to take a chance on me. That is something I will always be grateful for,” Peterson said.
Peterson dedicates her skill and progress to Coach Bobbi. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without my goalie coach. Coach Bobbi is a volunteer who took time out of her busy schedule to come in and work with me and the other goalies. She has been one of the most inspirational figures in my life. Whenever I failed, she was there to lift me back up and push me to do better. Whenever I succeeded, she was the first to encourage me further. If I needed to practice a skill, all I had to do was ask and she would make sure I got all the practice I needed. She is truly the reason I was able to obtain 655 career saves and break the VHSL state record. I credit all of my accomplishments in field hockey to the blood, sweat, and tears she poured into making sure I could grow and develop into the player I am today,” Peterson said.
