For her field hockey career at Bermudian Springs High School, Rachael Kotula has been the scorer-in-waiting.

But, after watching teammate Leeann Black score a Hanover-area record 39 goals in 2007 and 38 in 2008, Kotula's time was coming, especially after she scored 25 times herself over those same two seasons.

So what happened this fall?

Kotula wound up with three goals and five assists while four teammates instead scored 11 or more times.

"Because I didn't have the goals, I don't believe it wasn't a good season," she said. "This year, our goals have been spread out and everybody's gotten an opportunity.

"This was a great year."

Few could argue. The Lady Eagles posted their second straight 19-2 record and again went unbeaten in YAIAA Division III.

And from her center back position, Kotula watched Bermudian Springs post perhaps its most dominant season yet. Although the Eagles were ousted with back-to-back losses in the District 3 Class AA Tournament, they allowed only nine goals and scored 95 -- and Kotula was a key factor in both statistics.

For that reason, the senior has been named the All-Area Player of the Year.

"Her strength is making a defensive play and then that long, hard hit upfield made a lot of our offense," Bermudian Springs head coach Neil Bixler said. "That's one thing next year that will have to change."

But that's next year. For the past four seasons, Kotula has made her mark by scoring a goal in each season for Bermudian

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Springs. And while the goals were fewer in 2009, she was just as satisfied.

"This is your last year and you have go out with a bang," she said. "I won't be able to play with this team ever again, so you just go out there and do your best and I think we did."

The action often revolved around Kotula, who found herself running everywhere from her own team's goal mouth to the opponent's scoring circle.

"Defense and offense are very different," Bixler said. "Center backs often never pushed up very far, but we always pushed her up to the (opponent's) circle to keep the ball inside that 25 (-yard line)."

That meant responsibility.

"First of all, I started out as a left back and just focusing on one side (of the field)," she said. "Then, when you get into the center, you have to be able to direct the girls in front of you and behind you. You have to talk to the girls and see those spaces that need to be filled."

Kotula indicated the Eagles' ability to do that led to another strong season.

"Since there were so many seniors, we are all tight," she said. " ... The girls have been together for so long that it seemed to connect."

The 2009 season was the culmination of a six-year field hockey career, begun after she watched friends play the sport at Bermudian Springs.

"It was probably the most difficult (to learn) because of the coordination, but after I got the hang of it, it was OK," she said.

However, that phase of her life has now ended and Kotula has turned first to basketball this winter and then to track and field in the spring.

In fact, Kotula is hoping to continue her track and field career as a weight thrower at the collegiate level, possibly at either Robert Morris University or Misericordia University.

"I love hockey to death, but it's much more demanding," she said. "Track's more of an individual sport where I have to motivate myself."

In the meantime, Kotula figures field hockey at Bermudian Springs will remain strong even as she and her fellow seniors move ahead with life.

"Our bench was deep. Everybody could play (that was) on the bench," she said. "They're going to miss us, but they're going to be OK.

"They watched our leadership and they absorbed that."

ccurley@eveningsun.com