TopOfTheCountry 2004: Voorhees Eastern (N.J.)

The Vikings of Eastern Camden County Junior-Senior High School are the product of a perfect storm of coaching, tactics, athleticism, and support from parents and the community. For the third straight season, Eastern has taken home the TopOfTheCountry trophy, presented to the team after their 6-0 victory in the 2004 New Jersey Group IV title game.

The TopOfTheCountry trophy is four feet high, topped with an oversized white sphere, representing the pinnacle of the game in the United States.

The four different-colored spindles symbolize the factors upon which the game is built:

* The green spindle is for the vibrant youth field hockey culture, both in scholastic and club play;

* The navy spindle is for the national team program, to which all field hockey players can aspire;

* The red spindle symbolizes the blood and sweat of all those players and coaches who have sacrificed their time, selves, and souls for the game of field hockey; and

* The light blue spindle is for supporters of field hockey, whether parents, friends, or just plain fans.

It is an award given to a team which had its Federation-record unbeaten streak tested like never before in a game against Emmaus (Pa.). But more importantly, the Vikings are now perhaps in the realm of all-time great field hockey squads such as the 1984 Centereach (N.Y.) team with Tracey Fuchs, the loaded 1998 Escondido San Pasqual (Calif.) team with the Gannons and Banueloses, and the unstoppable Kim Miller-led Frank W. Cox (Va.) teams in the mid-90s.