When Kelly McCollum headed back to her alma mater of Northwestern University as an assistant field hockey coach in 2000, she made sure to keep some mental notes of the New England field hockey terrain she'd surveyed during her five years as an assistant at the University of New Hampshire and Northeastern University.
When she was elevated to Northwestern head coach in 2004, she drew on that inner Rolodex for one of her first and most significant recruits.
Alexandra Quinn was finishing up an outstanding four-year career at Watertown High School around that time. The two-time Daily News Tribune Player of the Year had previously thought she would one day end up at Boston College, then had turned her sights to Duke University and Northeastern - where her older sister, Jaclyn, had an outstanding career - when McCollum swooped in to try and lure her all the way out to Chicago.
``I had known the Quinn family through recruiting all of the Quinn sisters,'' said McCollum of her pitches to Jaclyn and oldest sister Lauren Quinn, who played at Princeton. ``Alex was one of the top recruits coming out that year. She was definitely a talent and we are fortunate that she gave Northwestern serious consideration.''
Not only did she give it consideration, with one trip to the Chicago-area campus, she was sold.
``When I went to Duke it just seemed so far away from home,'' the NU senior recalled. ``When I went to Northwestern it was so similar to Boston with the huge lake. I just felt at home here. I knew I wanted to play in a very competitive field hockey league - the Big Ten is the best around - and I wanted a strong academic school.''
But she also so wanted that connection to home that she said she and her parents made a pact that they would fly out to Chicago to attend her home games. Four years later, she said at least one of them has made it to every single one.
During that time, they have witnessed one of the top high school players in the state her senior year at WHS turn into one of the most prolific scorers in one of the best collegiate field hockey conferences in the country. A four-year starter, who was named Second Team All-Big Ten as a junior, Quinn currently leads Northwestern with 12 goals and four assists in 13 games.
Recently, she was named Big Ten Player of the Week for the second time in her career.
The 5-foot-3 girl with the devastating shot for the Raiders as they threatened for a state title has gone from an offensive sparkplug to an outstanding two-way talent.
``She has a high level of ball-handling skills and is an all-around strong attacking player,'' McCollum said. ``I think Alex has improved tremendously in playing the game on both sides of the ball. She came in as an offensive threat. She has definitely strengthened as an offensive threat, but has improved her play on the defensive side. With the pace of our game, you really have to improve on offense and defense. Now she knows how to get herself the ball rather than rely on others to get it to her.''
At Watertown, Quinn was often the finisher. Now, she says she has learned that she can create havoc even when she doesn't touch the ball.
``I would say in high school I was fortunate to have one of the best coaches in Massachusetts (in Eileen Donahue),'' she said. ``But because now you are playing all year round, you analyze the game more in depth. You focus on off-ball movement much more. When you pass the ball away, your movement can open everything up for another player.''
The rigors of that year-round dedication can be grueling at a school the caliber of Northwestern. But Quinn said that's where it really helped having two older sisters who had gone through similar challenges.
``I think that a lot of people don't understand how much commitment Division I sports is,'' she said. ``I think, for some people, it's a shock. I knew what I signed myself up for. I knew it could be tough, and that it's all worth it in the end. It's been great having them as role models. I'm always looking up to them for advice and support.
``I definitely think that I follow in their footsteps. I don't think I would be the player I am today if not for their influence on me.''
While Quinn has been happy to relocate in the Chicago area - the economics major hopes to stay in the Second City after graduation this spring - sometimes she still longs for the connections to home. That's why she stays close with former Raider teammate Kayla Romanelli - who plays for Harvard University - and cherishes that her parents travel out to Chicago for games week after week every fall.
It may also be fitting that two of her favorites field hockey memories at Northwestern include games against a school essentially from her hometown. Last year, when Northeastern traveled to face Northwestern, Quinn scored a goal in regulation and assisted on the game-winner in overtime of the upset. This year, she traveled back to Boston for her first games in the state since she graduated from high school as Northwestern played back-to-back games against Northeastern and Boston University.
``It was great,'' she said of the homecoming. ``We had a lot of people from Watertown there. The team came to my home for a dinner. I was able to play in front of my grandparents. It was really nice.''
It hasn't been all field hockey for Quinn in Illinois either. She is one of two members of the team involved with the Purple Peer Mentor program where she has excelled as more than just a skilled teammate on the field.
``She's very open to different personalities and people's needs,'' McCollum said. ``She is someone the team can look to through the challenges of a season. She is someone players on the team can go to with anything and get support.''
Out of the mentor program, she was chosen to attend the Apple Conference in Virginia where she began work on an alcohol prevention program that was presented to Northwestern freshmen this fall.
``Unfortunately, we had a death on campus because of that last year and we were aware it was a big problem,'' she said. ``We wanted to do a hands-on presentation that was exciting, instead of the boring and dry ones like we always used to hear. We wanted to create something that was interesting and fun, yet important.''
Back on the field hockey turf, Quinn still has some important challenges ahead starting with this weekend's home matches against nationally ranked Michigan State and Wake Forest.
With a 6-7 record, Northwestern is looking to forge its way into the top half of the Big Ten and the Wildcats will be looking to Quinn to help get them there.
``Alex is a really good part of the team and I just think she has come on stronger this year than in the past,'' McCollum said. ``If she continues to grow in the next segment of our season, she is going to make an impact against Big Ten teams. That's what she's looking for, and that's what we're looking for from her.''
