Conestoga’s Kiley Allen is Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week
A sophomore midfielder/defender, Allen has quickly developed into a leader on and off the field for the Pioneers’ field hockey team. She received All-Main Line honors as a freshman, and is a strong defensive presence, initiating much of Conestoga’s offensive momentum at the same time. As of Oct. 19, she has tallied six goals and seven assists – impressive given her role as defensive cover player for the team.
Q: What originally sparked your interest in field hockey?
A: Before fifth grade, I thought I was going to be a soccer player! But then I started playing field hockey for my church, St. Norberts, and I fell in love with field hockey.
Q: Coach [Megan] Smyth mentions that you are a strong defensive presence as a midfielder. What (to you) has been the most important thing you’ve learned in playing strong defense?
A: Communication with the other defenders is the most important part of being successful in defense. You have to have a connection with them, which is definitely the case at Stoga!
Q: What has been the most important thing you have learned about field hockey from your older sister Casey?
A: She has taught me a lot, but the most important thing is patience and composure on the field. Whenever I’m annoyed at the referee calls or flustered by the other team, she always manages to calm me down and keep me focused.
Q: You wear No. 44 for Conestoga. Was there a reason you chose that number?
A: We choose uniforms in order of age at Conestoga, so when it was finally time for the freshman to choose, the numbers that were left were random. I wanted a number that would stick, so I chose 44.
Q: What (to you) has been the most memorable play of the Conestoga field hockey season to date? Can you share with us how the play unfolded, and your role in it?
A: My freshman year, we played Downingtown West to get into States. The game ended 1-1 so we went into overtime. The game wasn’t going anywhere until somehow we got an offensive corner. I inserted the ball to my sister, Casey, and she was supposed to take the immediate shot but she passed it off to Meredith Ross, who gave it right back to Casey. She one-timed the shot and scored. I remember hearing the thud of the ball against the backboard and a split second later the cheers of our team, coaches, and parents. Everyone rushed onto the field. I was so happy, I couldn’t even believe it.
Q: What do you think is the strongest part of your game? What part of your game are you working the most on at the present time?
A: I think the strongest part of my game is my vision and passing. I’m trying to be a more offensive presence as center defensive mid at Conestoga as well as supporting the play after I send it up the field.
Q: Who have been your top field hockey mentors, and what has been the most important thing each of them taught you?
A: Besides my sister Casey, my club coaches Jun and Richard Kentwell have been coaching me since I was in seventh grade. They have taught me so much of what I know about field hockey, and their coaching has shaped the player I am today.
Q: What is your favorite school subject? What do you think you would like to major in at college? Is there a career field that particularly interests you at the present time?
A: I like Spanish and History classes, but I’m not sure what I want to focus on yet.
Q: Do you participate in any extracurricular activities at Conestoga outside of field hockey? What sparked your interest in these activities?
A: I joined ADL (Anti-Defamation League) this year at Conestoga, which is really meaningful to me. I’m also a member of the Human Rights Club. Outside of school, I volunteer for The Travis Manion Foundation, and I’ve been volunteering for over five years at the Chestnut Street Ronald McDonald House.
Kiley Allen’s top picks
Book: The Penderwicks by Jane Birdsall.
Author: Stephen King.
TV show: The Office (U.S. version)
Movie: Clueless.
Pre-game pump-up song: Dreams (Lost Kings Remix) by Life of Dillon.
Athlete: “I met Fu Bao Rong and Li Hong Xia at WC Eagles. They were former students of my coach Jun Kentwell. Bao Rong is a three-time Olympic athlete and Hong Xia is a two-time Olympic athlete. Watching them play is amazing. They have such beautiful effortless movements.”
Historical figure: “I admire Sacagawea because she was a very strong independent woman.”
Place to visit: California.
(To be selected for Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by her coach.)
