Most athletes don’t discover their second sport through the high school announcements. That’s how Zoe Caloviras found wrestling.
Manheim Township, launching its first girls team, was looking for anyone willing to give grappling a try. Caloviras was intrigued. She’s always up for a challenge.
“I was like, ‘Why not?’ ” she said. “I’ve always wanted to do a more physical sport. I was always too small when I was younger. Now that I’m older, I said. ‘Let’s give it a go.’ I instantly fell in love with it.”
That was two years ago.
Caloviras, then a sophomore, was one of a handful of girls who signed up back then. Enjoyment came fast. Success took a bit longer.
Manheim Township goalkeeper Zoe Caloviras defends the cage against Warwick in the PIAA semifinals Tuesday.
“I definitely got dogged in a couple of matches,” Caloviras said with a smile, “before I got good.”
Field hockey, the senior’s first sport, has been a lifelong pursuit. Caloviras has played since elementary school and is the starting goalie for Township’s District Three championship team.
Caloviras will be in her No. 92 jersey and pads when Township takes on District 11 champ Emmaus in the PIAA Class 3A final at Cumberland Valley at 3 p.m. Saturday.
There are some athletic traits that translate between the mat and the cage. There are also some personality traits. One of them is being fearless.
It takes some guts to stop reverse chips that are zooming at high speeds. It takes some guts to put on a singlet and step into neutral position. Wrestling and Caloviras are a good match.
“It fits her perfectly,” said field hockey teammate Brenna Campagna. “She’s a bold person, obviously. We do these boxing out drills. We put our sticks down and she’ll be in her wrestling stance. She’s very intimidating.”
Township, with center back Gracie Clawson anchoring the defense and Caloviras in net, hasn’t allowed a goal in three PIAA games.
Being the keeper on a powerhouse team can bring some challenges. Caloviras must sometimes wait long stretches without having any action in front of her before needing to make a key save.
When Township took on Warwick in the state semifinals, Caloviras denied a breakaway with nine minutes left to preserve the shutout.
“Zoe is one of the top keepers in the league,” Township coach Jess Shellenberger said. “When she gets those opportunities, she has to dial in. She has done a great job all the way through the district and state run.”
Shellenberger said Caloviras stays sharp through practice when some of the best players in the area are firing shots in her direction. She has to confront Campagna, Brooke Weaver and others in 1v1 drills.
Caloviras, a Section One all-star this season, has always played goalie. Even when she was just starting out around age 7. That was the position older sister Lianna played and Zoe followed along.
Campagna, Weaver and Caloviras have been teammates throughout their field hockey years.
“I’ve never seen her play in the field,” Campagna said of Township’s keeper. “She’s had so many years to develop her skills. She has turned out to be really amazing.”
Caloviras said wrestling has helped her quickness with dropping down for saves and getting back on her feet. It has also made her more aware of her body positioning.
One more game remains in this dream season Township. One more item is on the to-do list.
The Blue Streaks have already claimed the school’s first Lancaster-Lebanon League and District Three titles. All that’s left is the ultimate prize.
If Emmaus brings a scoring chance into the circle, Township is confident Caloviras can handle it.
“You’ve got to be a tough kid to be a field hockey goalie,” Shellenberger said. “I wouldn’t stand back there and let that ball come at me. It’s being tough. It’s being fearless. All those things have to be in place.”
Field hockey and lacrosse is a common overlap for girls athletes. Field hockey and wrestling? Caloviras is blazing a different trail.
When she stepped onto the mat for her first match, she said she didn’t have any butterflies.
“It’s not in my nature,” Caloviras said. “I’m a gung-ho, go-for-it kind of person.”
That’s the kind of person Township wants to have in the cage.
Manheim Township goalkeeper Zoe Caloviras stops a shot by Warwick’s Taylor Hess.
