As the field hockey team shines through another season of Patriot League contention, the Netherlands natives on the squad have proved their value several times over. Senior midfielder Josephine van Wijk and freshman midfielders Feline Reusken and Rosalie van Gool represent the Oranje at Lafayette College, all making key contributions this season.
With three Dutch players, the Leopards lead the Patriot League in representation from a country where field hockey is far more prevalent than in the U.S.
“It’s more like you play for a club, and it’s not like tight with your university,” van Wijk said about the Dutch field hockey culture. “I feel like here your team is also your friend group, and you basically do everything with your team.”
Athletes in the Netherlands typically stick to the sport they chose in their youth, allowing them to focus on skill progression.
“It is starting earlier for every generation,” Reusken said. “Kids are starting at 6 to 7 years old now.”
Van Wijk and van Gool have both scored four goals in 2025 thus far, with van Gool hitting the ground running with a multi-goal game against Dartmouth University in late September.
In the Netherlands, specific passing and shooting techniques are learned at a younger age, whereas more of an emphasis is placed on general athleticism in the U.S.
“The basics are a little bit better from home,” Reusken said. “And the rules are a bit different, depending on how strict the refs are with it.”
For a long time, Dutch talent tended to stay within Europe. However, it is becoming increasingly common for some of the top Dutch talent to be recruited over to the U.S., as the allure of combining athletics and academics under one umbrella intrigues more players each year.
Gap years are also common for Dutch players coming to America, as freshmen can play a year of collegiate field hockey and then choose to continue in the U.S. or head back home to attend university in Europe.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to study yet, but I wanted to continue to play,” van Gool said. “So, I had to get a gap year.”
Van Gool participated in training with the Netherlands’ national team but did not earn a roster spot, and van Wijk got to compete at the national level prior to arriving at Lafayette.
“I was able to debut in the women’s senior team for my club, which plays at the highest level in the Netherlands,” van Wijk said. “That was really awesome.”
Despite the differences in backgrounds, van Wijk said she found herself immediately immersed within the team upon arrival.
“Our team is very much like a family,” she said. “We’re all like 27 best friends.”
Reusken said that she felt “instantly connected” with both van Wijk and van Gool.
“We do have a strong sense of each other’s playing styles,” Reusken said. “We were all coached similarly.”
Reusken has seen both sides of the coach-player relationship, coaching youth field hockey for four players in the Netherlands.
“Watching younger kids play gives me a new perspective,” said Reusken. “I got to understand all the positions on the field more.”
