Kate Burgess remembers dodging tennis balls as her older sister, Reanne Burgess, shot them in their backyard in Holden, Massachusetts. Their goldendoodle, Mullie, played defense as Reanne continued ripping shots her way.
This repetition and competition fueled Burgess, but what she loved the most about playing field hockey was sharing the sport with her family.
Burgess comes from an athletic household. Her mother, Cheryl, played softball at Bryant College; her oldest sister, Alaina, played Division I lacrosse at Manhattan College; and Reanne, played Division I field hockey at Patriot League rival Bucknell University.
“It’s really nice having older sisters because they lead the way for you and help you out with a lot of stuff,” Kate said. “I can always go to both of them for advice.”
Kate has been the starting goalie for the field hockey team since her junior year. She has recorded 193 saves and has a .700 save percentage.
When she started playing field hockey, Kate said the sport was mentally tough. As a goalie, she said getting scored on a lot took a toll on her confidence.
As she continued growing as a player, Kate said her confidence grew with her skill, and she gained a new perspective on her position.
“Playing my first few years, I didn’t get in the games as much as I wanted to,” she said. “That was formative because I realized all I can control is showing up to practice every day, trying my hardest, and trying my best.”
Once she realized her potential, she said her coaches realized it too.
Kate continued her field hockey career at The Governor’s Academy, a boarding school in Byfield, Massachusetts, where she shared the field with her sister Reanne Burgess, who was a senior when Kate was a freshman.
She said attending a boarding school fostered close relationships with her coaches, who also served as her dorm parents, and her teammates who lived on campus with her.
Kate said one of the toughest moments of her high school career was her first-ever championship run.
“It was her (Reanne’s) senior year, and I really wanted to do good for her and help her because she was my center back on defense and I was right behind her,” Kate said. “I really wanted to win with her because it would be a cool experience with her and me.”
As she entered her junior year of high school, Kate said goalie coach Tara Danielson entered her life and changed her outlook on field hockey.
She said Danielson shot balls at her as hard as she could with a tennis racket, similar to what Reanne would do in their backyard. The intensive goalie training helped the Mountain Hawks win their conference championship her senior year and inspired her to play at the collegiate level.
When looking for a school, Kate said she wanted a strong team culture.
She knew Lehigh from Reanne’s college search, but didn’t get a full understanding of the school until her first recruiting visit.
Kate said she remembers falling in love with Lehigh after seeing the athletes and their passion for their team and the sport. She said she wanted her own school and experiences, but she found comfort sharing the field with her sister again during Patriot League matchups.
The Burgess family showed up to support the sisters in split Lehigh-Bucknell jerseys whenever they would face each other.
Although Reanne wasn’t with her at Lehigh, Kate said she’s found a different kind of sisterhood through her teammates.
“You don’t remember the score of every game when we’re done, but we’ll remember going to practice every day, waking up early and seeing the sunrise together, and going on away trips,” Kate said. “It’s all about making those connections and making best friends even after your four years of college are done.”
One of those best friends is junior backup goalie Norah Kempson, who splits practice time with Kate Burgess. They rotate between reps, allow each other to rest, and when Kate gets stressed on game day, she said Kempson steps up for her and the team and gives her the space she needs to focus on herself.
When they aren’t on the field, Kempson said the two often get coffee and watch “Dancing with the Stars” together.
“Being friends outside of the sport is so important because we are around each other so much and field hockey can be stressful sometimes,” Kempson said. “We are the only two goalies right now, so we’re the only ones on the team that really understand what each other goes through.”
Head coach Corey Mayer said she is inspired by Burgess’s and Kempson’s relationship and loves watching them keep their internal competition out of their friendship. Mayer said she specifically remembers the two laughing and hanging out in the airport when Lehigh played nationally ranked Iowa this season.
Lehigh fell to Iowa 9-0, with Kate Burgess facing 45 shots. Kempson came in to relieve her in the fourth quarter, but Mayer said throughout the game Kate Burgess never wavered in her calmness and steadiness.
Kate said she tried to be as aggressive as possible and not shrink as the Iowa forwards barreled towards her.
“Even if I let a couple in, I have a reset moment in my mind that it’s the next play and I’m going to make the next save,” she said. “You still have to play for 60 minutes, no matter what the score is, so resetting your mind and persevering (is) big.”
Mayer said this mental steadiness is what’s given her confidence as a first-year coach. Kate has the best view down the center of the field, and Mayer relies on her to lead the defensive unit. She said her ability to bounce back gives her and the team the opportunity to take more risks offensively.
“A goalkeeper for a lot of teams can be a make-or-break,” Mayer said. “With our focus on playing solid, strong and proactive defense, she’s been a large organizer and communicator and really makes our defense accountable.”
As she enters her senior year at Lehigh, Kate said she’s considering a fifth season through the new NCAA eligibility model, but is also considering returning to the field alongside Reanne Burgess in a summer league back at home.
During pressure-filled moments, Kate said she tries to remember the little girl in the backyard playing and having fun with her sister.
“As a goalie, it can be stressful, and you can think about having to make every single save, and you forget about how fun it is to try your best, win or lose,” Kate Burgess said. “I try to remember that I get to do this.”
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