Alyssa Healey is “hopeful’’ she’ll be heading back to work this fall — as a health and phys-ed teacher at Dover-Sherborn and as a coach at Holliston. She’s also acutely aware that health and safety are paramount as she, her players and fans await a ruling on whether interscholastic sports return for the fall.

EDITOR’S NOTE: At Local Town Pages deadline, neither Governor Baker nor the Department of Education had announced the status of interscholastic sports for the fall.

Alyssa Healey knows that her field hockey team needs some rebuilding after losing 10 seniors to graduation but Holliston High’s coach will gladly deal with that task. Why? Because she’s passionate about the sport.

Her passion for field hockey makes her hopeful that schools will be open in the fall after a lengthy shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic. And, she’s hopeful that interscholastic sports will be in the mix.

“I’m optimistic,’’ Healey emphasized. “Athletics not only help girls with their competitive development, but sports are also needed for high school girls’ social and emotional development. They need normalcy. The cancellation of spring sports forced many of my players to miss lacrosse. I’m hoping sports will be back, because I love coaching and I enjoy working with student-athletes.’’

The 31-year-old coach, who has guided the Panthers to five tourney appearances in six years, is acutely aware that, if sports get the green light, field hockey will undergo changes. She’s ready to adjust to whatever guidelines the MIAA (Mass. Interscholastic Athletic Association) outlines.

“I don’t envision players wearing masks,’’ she noted. “Mouth guards and goggles are already required, however. Players likely will be bringing their own water but social distancing will be difficult in games because field hockey is a close-contact sport. Hand sanitizing stations likely will be available and limited seating on buses will be necessary.’’

Healey also believes change will occur in practice, in locker-rooms and with fans attending games. “There’ll likely be smaller group instruction at practice,’’ she said. “Locker-rooms may be off-limits but spacing fans at games shouldn’t be an issue. Field hockey games aren’t like football. Attendance is less.’’

Healey’s program, like other teams, has been affected by covid-19 this summer. Her players will miss attending a valuable camp at UMass-Dartmouth that was scheduled for Aug. 1-5. It was canceled because of the virus.

“About 15 of our players would have been at the UMass camp,’’ she said. “International coaches would have offered instruction but for them to enter the country would have been a problem. The youth camp that I conduct (June 25-29) has been postponed to Aug. 10-13. It’s a camp for girls from kindergarten to ninth grade and it’s a fund-raiser for the high-school program.’’

Since Healey became the Panthers’ coach, she’s elevated the program in a dynamic way. Not only has Holliston been a perennial tournament participant, but it’s also advanced deep into the playoffs. Last year’s squad posted a 14-5-1 overall record and got to the Sectional semifinals for the second straight time.

This season’s contingent will face some challenges because it lacks experience (no seniors) and its depth is thin. Healey, however, has a squad with some key strengths. “Our core group is coachable, and we’ve got good team chemistry,’’ she said. “Our skills are improving, we’re athletic and the girls have a high field hockey IQ.’’

The leaders are junior captains — midfielder Peyton Hastings and fullback Jordyn Kuharich. 

“They’re both two-year veterans,’’ said Healey, who previously was Dover-Sherborn’s jayvee coach and varsity assistant. “Peyton is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever coached. She’s athletic, instinctive, a solid passer and very good in transition. She leads by example. Jordyn leads by being communicative. She’s vocal, and she knows her role. Her speed, poise and finesse are great assets.’’

Emily Waldman emerged as a sophomore last year and was a prime contributor on defense. “Emily was a pleasant surprise,’’ Healey said. “She works hard in practice, tackles effectively, and is a poised player.’’

Three other girls who’ll be counted on are junior forwards — Stephanie Farrell and twin-sisters Abby and Bridget Glynn.

“Stephanie is a three-year veteran who started as a sophomore,’’ Healey said. “She plays low to the ground and is a good passer who gets assists. I’m looking for her to be more offensive-minded. Last year was Abby’s first season but she eventually became a starter. She’s athletic, has good stick skills, marks our opponents’ top player, and can score. Bridget also was a first-year player as a sophomore and became a starter. She’s an instinctive athlete who’s aggressive up front and good in transition.’’

Healey expects junior midfielder Lily Sawyer to keep improving. “She’s excellent in transition and is an effective passer,’’ Healey emphasized. Thirty-three candidates will be reporting for pre-season practice and the breakdown is 19 juniors, 10 sophomores and 4 freshmen. 

Amid all the cancellations and delays cause by covid-19, the group has been working to stay in shape. The captains conducted a Spring Challenge via email that included a variety of drills, and Healey communicated with the players in June during one Zoom meeting that  emphasized conditioning instructions and listed the squad’s schedule. If a season is to occur, the Panthers will open on Sept. 9 at Norwood. 

“Our goals are to improve daily, focus on the tasks at hand and qualify for the tourney,’’ Healey said. “It’s never easy to qualify, but we can achieve that objective if we stay healthy and learn quickly. We finished second in the Tri Valley League’s Large Division last year behind Westwood. They’ll be strong again, and so will Norwood. Defending state champ Dover-Sherborn will be solid in the Small Division.’’

Dealing with any degree of rebuilding won’t be a Herculean task for Healey because she knows what ingredients are needed for success. “The key is to have players who are coachable, know technique, practice full-speed and have a high field hockey IQ,’’ she said. “Leadership is important, and it’s beneficial to have players who represent the program in a positive fashion, on and off the field.’’Thirty-three candidates will be reporting for pre-season practice and the breakdown is 19 juniors, 10 sophomores and 4 freshmen. 

Amid all the cancellations and delays cause by covid-19, the group has been working to stay in shape. The captains conducted a Spring Challenge via email that included a variety of drills, and Healey communicated with the players in June during one Zoom meeting that  emphasized conditioning instructions and listed the squad’s schedule. If a season is to occur, the Panthers will open on Sept. 9 at Norwood. 

“Our goals are to improve daily, focus on the tasks at hand and qualify for the tourney,’’ Healey said. “It’s never easy to qualify, but we can achieve that objective if we stay healthy and learn quickly. We finished second in the Tri Valley League’s Large Division last year behind Westwood. They’ll be strong again, and so will Norwood. Defending state champ Dover-Sherborn will be solid in the Small Division.’’

Dealing with any degree of rebuilding won’t be a Herculean task for Healey because she knows what ingredients are needed for success. “The key is to have players who are coachable, know technique, practice full-speed and have a high field hockey IQ,’’ she said. “Leadership is important, and it’s beneficial to have players who represent the program in a positive fashion, on and off the field.’’