By GIUSEPPE UNGARO Managing Editor Meredith Civico, formerly known as Meredith Long, remembers fondly her time at Ocean City High School, where she became one of the top field hockey players in the state before graduating in 2001. Her memories include the long seasons, ending in a championship three of her four seasons. She remembers her coaches, her teammates, the road trips, and yes, even the 12-minute preseason runs Red Raiders legendary coach Trish LeFevre made the team pass before making the squad. The former two-time all-state player and high school All-American now is entering her fourth season at the helm of the Rutgers University field hockey team. However, the 32-year-old’s career started while wearing the Red Raiders jersey and the resort town is still very much a part of her. This past June, she got married in Ocean City and tries to get back as much as she can, including some recruiting trips to her high school alma mater. “I remember the team being really competing, wanting to win. It was always the focus to win the state championship every year. I remember the preseason 12-minute run. That was always fun every year,” Civico said. “I remember the camaraderie, the team and the trips. All those positive things help me, as a coach, look at the big picture. It’s about the overall experience, and if you can create the environment that the kids want to be a part of — and that’s what Ocean City was — then you’re going to get your players work hard for you.” Civico took over the Scarlet Knights four years ago and made an immediate impact. Last year, the Scarlet Knights made the postseason for the first since 2010, and two seasons ago Rutgers finished at .500 for the first time since 2008. The former University of Maryland standout has high expectations for Rutgers this season and beyond, trying to lift the program to more success, eventually wanting to become a national powerhouse. 
Meredith Civico was a standout field hockey player at Ocean City before capturing a national championship while at the University of Maryland. These days, she is the head coach at Rutgers University. (Photo courtesy of Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics) “If somebody would have said, ‘what is your dream school?’, I would have said Rutgers. I didn’t know if it would ever happen, but I was at the right place at the right time. New Jersey is my home, and the fact that I’m the head coach at the state university of New Jersey means a lot to me. I’m very proud of it. New Jersey is my home and I very much believe in what we are doing at Rutgers. We are headed in the right direction, and my goal is really to build a program with New Jersey talent as its base. We are really trying to get the best players in the country to stay home and play Big Ten field hockey in their backyard.” Some of those players include a couple of former Red Raiders such as Ali Stever, a senior, who is one of the team’s top players, and freshman Kelly Hanna, one of the Cape-Atlantic League’s best players a year ago. The team also has local standout Katie Champion, a senior from Egg Harbor Township, who is a Big Ten Player to Watch this season. Civico has made several stops since leaving Ocean City and arriving at Rutgers. She played at the University of Maryland, capturing a national championship. She also coached at the University of Vermont and Towson University before landing in New Brunswick. However, she credits her time at Ocean City for her past and current success, as a player and as a coach. “Trish LeFevre was another outstanding coach and mentor. Being able to start my field hockey career under her, she really taught me a lot about myself and the game. I think she really kind of gave me a solid foundation. She really taught me a lot about the mental part of the game, and really pushed me as a young athlete and a young woman,” Civico said. “I think she really saw potential in me at a young age, and advocated for me when it came time to make decision to play in college.” Ocean City was a powerhouse during Civico’s time, and still is. During her time the Red Raiders went to the state championship game every year, winning it three of four times. They have won consecutive South Jersey Group 3 titles under current coach Cory Terry, and in 2013 won the overall Group 3 title. “I had an awesome experience there. I had great teammates who continued on in college and a lot of them are involved in coaching. Corey (Picketts) Terry took over at Ocean City and she and I were teammates.” It wasn’t until Civico experienced adversity while as a senior at The University of Maryland did she think of entering the coaching world. She missed her season with a thyroid disorder and was forced to watch from the sidelines. She ultimately received a medical redshirt and was able to return the following year and help the Terps win a national title. However, it was her time on the sideline that made her think about coaching, especially spending time with legendary Maryland coach Missy Meharg. “She took me under her wing and said, ‘you may not be able to make an impact on the field this season, but I want you on the sideline with us, to take stats for us, take information and you are going to make an impact on the sideline,” Civico explained. “That was my senior year and it changed the way I looked at the game, and gave me a new perspective.” Like her past coaches, Civico wants to be a championship coach. “That’s our goal. We want to win championships. We want to win Big Ten championships and we want to win national championships,” Civico said. “We have potential to do it. We are working really hard getting the best players we can in every year, staying focused and really enjoying it. We have a great culture and they love coming in, training every day.” Contact Giuseppe Ungaro: gungaro@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDgisepu [adsense]
Ivy Rehab’s “My glory days”: Meredith (Long) Civico, Ocean City High School, 2001
