Maryland field hockey goalie Noelle Frost's HoCo upbringing is paramount to her success

Smart, tough, gritty and the defensive anchor to second-ranked Maryland’s 14-2 record, Noelle Frost continues to rack up national recognition for incredible play this season but she is more than just a goalkeeper.

The goal differential between the Terps and their opponents is 34; with Maryland having notched 46 goals and their opponents finding the net only 12 times as of Oct. 20. Frost has been key to the team’s success this season and their national title aspirations. 

Frost has been named both Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week thrice and the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I Defensive Player of the Week award twice. She’s third in the nation with a goals-against-average of .80% and 48 total saves on the season as of Oct. 20.

Growing up in the rural part of Glenelg in Howard County, Maryland, Frost spent her early years exploring everything but field hockey. Her childhood included sewing, dancing, and a slew of other diverse activities.

“My parents made sure to put me in everything,” Frost said. “I was a dancer, I played softball, field hockey, and 4-H.” 

4-H, a youth development organization that encourages youth to “learn by doing,” afforded Frost the opportunity to partake in county fairs and present her sewing, crafting and baked goods.

Although field hockey wasn’t her first love, in the fourth grade, a pair of older cousins “forced” a hockey stick into Frost’s hands. She found a home in front of the cage soon after and has become one of the best goalkeepers in the nation.

Being well-rounded has translated well for the star goalkeeper. On September 13th, in a contest against then-ranked No. 6 Virginia that ended in a shootout win for the Terps, Frost credited her dancing history for the ability to make nimble acrobatic saves. 

She called her upbringing “weird,” however, former Maryland keeper Sarah Holliday thinks all goalkeepers have some weirdness to them.

“Goalkeepers are definitely weird,” said Holliday. “Compared to all the other players, there’s something really weird about someone who feels comfortable getting engaged and having stuff whacked at them.”

Frost spent her first three seasons with Maryland as Holliday’s backup. Before playing for the Terps, the two Howard County-natives were acquainted through county and club play. 

The former keeper turned student-coach said the two have experienced a seamless transition from their teammate relationship into this new coach-athlete relationship, noting Frost’s rapid learning ability as essential to the change. 

“I know it can be weird for a lot of people having to be coached by someone you just played with because there's an interesting dynamic,” Holliday said. “But she's taken it really well, and it’s all been a good learning curve.”

“(Frost) asks questions and she wants to get better but she doesn't dwell on the things she does badly or the things that don't go very well the first time,” Holliday continued. “That's what I think is really helping her thrive in this environment -- it’s that she knows she has a lot to learn.”

To assistant coach Marvin Bam, the senior brings a perfect blend of hard work, focus and fun to the team that helps establish a spontaneous, goofy in a “most of the time” serious atmosphere. Bam says Frost makes his job easier because of her approach to the sport.

“Noelle has been outstanding this season,” Bam said. “She comes in to do her job and just focuses so hard every day to better herself.”

Frost’s simplicity and hard-working attitude are traits that represent her family, head coach Missy Meharg said. “She comes from a family that you just do your work. You do your hard work. You stay very subtle. You stay behind the riff-raff and you don't get too fired up by the media.”

Frost is no stranger to receiving high praise for her talented goalkeeping. Amongst a number of student-athlete honors before the season, she was named the 2015 Howard County Field Hockey Player of the Year after her final season at Glenelg High School in Glenelg, Md.

While receiving national recognition for her great work and play has always been a good thing, she’s determined to not get carried away by it.

“I don't really think about it going into games, because I feel like when you start thinking about extrinsic things like that, you start not looking at the main goal,” Frost said. “The main things on my mind are field hockey and school and trying to get eight hours of sleep.”

As the season comes to a close, Frost is determined to help lead her team back to a conference title and the national title, but more immediately, Frost wants the team to make plays for one another.

“Honestly, my goal is for everyone, every day, to be a teammate for each other,” Frost said.