SACO — As a goal scorer or decoy, either way, Katrina Thibodeau did her job.

Always the center of attention, always around the ball, always too dangerous to let run free, the Thornton Academy senior became a bona fide game breaker this year while leading the Golden Trojans to their best season in nearly 20 years.

For her performance, Thibodeau has earned distinction as the Journal Tribune’s Field Hockey Player of the Year.

“Katrina’s a special player,” said Lori Smith, Thornton coach, who directed her team to its first Western Class A semifinal berth since 1992. “She can take the ball down through traffic and get shots off.”

And as often as not, when she shot, she found the mark.

Especially during one hot streak midway through the season, when she scored seven goals in a three-game span.

That included back to back three-goal hat tricks.

“Whenever I got toward the goal,” said Thibodeau, who has caught the eye of college coaches looking to add some scoring punch, “I’d look and see what corner I want, and I just shoot it.”

That nose for the net got keener as the season went along.

“She began shooting more,” said Smith, “and stopped looking to pass (off) as much.”

Opposing coaches figured that out, and often blanketed her with double and even triple coverage.

That, however, gave Thibodeau’s running mates room to roam.

“She’s very humble,” said Smith, “and has come a long way.”

— Contact Dan Hickling at 282-1535, ext. 315