Pace University defender Louisa Wegener has gone to school in three separate countries and while she has seen plenty of changes, the one constant has been playing field hockey.

Before coming to Pace, Wegener was a student in her native country of Germany. The problem she had with the schooling Germany was that she was very confined to her classroom.

“In Germany, I would have only been able to study one subject,” Wegener said. “I was not able to do everything that I wanted to.”

Knowing that she needed a change, Wegener used field hockey as a tool to play overseas.

“I went to an agency called Sports-Scholarships and showed them my highlights,” Wegner said. “They were then able to connect me to Pace.”

Wegener began her studies at Pace this Fall and so far, she has been very pleased with the school. She notes a huge difference between Germany and Pace.

“I like the university system here because I can study more subjects,” Wegener said. “I am in criminal justice, politics and microeconomics.”

Aside from going to school in Germany, she also studied at a boarding school in England, where she played tennis and field hockey.

While Wegner has not had a hard time adjusting schools, she has noticed the difference in field hockey. One difference, in particular, is the physicality.

“In America, it is much more aggressive and you have to be more athletic,” Wegener said. “In Germany, we play a little bit more with our head.”

Wegener is not the only one who shares this viewpoint. Her roommate, who is on the field hockey team as well, agrees.

“My roommate always tells me that I play so much smarter,” Wegener said. “It’s different than what she is used too.”

The playing environment is also something new to Wegener. In Germany, field hockey is just played as a club sport, whereas now she is playing for her school.

There has also been an adjustment for Wegener when it comes to playing with her teammates. In Germany, her team bonded like a family but that has not been the case here.

“I did not know them when I came here,” Wegener said. “They all knew each other and I was completely new.”

But as the semester progressed, Wegener became more accustomed to America’s playing style, as well as bonding with her teammates.
To her, the whole process was quite easy because she had her parents for guidance.

“My parents try to keep me motivated,” Wegener said. “I call them all of the time and they always try to keep me on track.”