Georgia Rottinghaus carries on family's championship tradition at Pine-Richland

By: Saturday, September 21, 2024 | 11:01 AM

Georgia Rottinghaus has two older sisters, Molly and Ella, that she looked up to growing up and that included watching them play field hockey.

Both Molly and Ella made an impact on the Pine-Richland field hockey program and Georgia has continued to build on the legacy the family has in the sport.

As a senior this year, she is one of the captains and leading scorers for a Rams team seeking a sixth consecutive WPIAL Class 3A championship.

"When my sisters started playing field hockey, I started playing, so I sort of got a head start in the sport," Rottinghaus said. "I always went to the field with them and they pushed me to be the best version of myself and player that I could be. I'm very lucky to have them. Without them I probably wouldn't have been playing the sport in the first place. They inspire me to be better every day."

Rottinghaus' mother and aunt also played field hockey, so it's a sport that's been in the family for a long time.

She's been a regular in the midfield for the Rams since her freshman year and this season has stepped up her goal production.

Rottinghaus has recorded two hat tricks in the span of four days in mid-September against Mt. Lebanon and Fox Chapel.

While scoring goals is nice, Rottinghaus is more pleased with the team results.

Pine-Richland had not been scored upon through its first 10 games and outscored its opponents 62-0.

Rottinghaus credited an excellent cohesiveness within the team for their success.

"I think this is the fastest that our team has come together," Rottinghaus said. "Our motto is team, teammate and self. If you take care of your teammates, then you're taken care of. That's something coach (Donna Stephenson) has instilled in us and it's really working. The team is working great together. I have faith in everyone. Everyone believes in each other. The chemistry this year is just something else. I'm very happy and lucky to be a part of it."

One area that Rottinghaus will differ from her sisters is where she'll play collegiately. Both of her older sisters chose Boston University, but she's committed to Indiana.

Molly has graduated from Boston and Ella is currently a senior there.

Rottinghaus said Indiana reached out early in the recruiting process. She was pleased with what the program offered, so she decided to be a Hoosier.

She plans to study nursing.

"I talked to a few different schools, but really the coaches and the teammates and academics (at Indiana) made it a really good fit for me," Rottinghaus said. "I went on a visit and the campus is beautiful. The facilities are amazing. It's a different route from my sisters, but I'm really excited about it."

Rottinghaus has an older brother, John, who plays football at Duquesne, so there will be four siblings in the family who will play a sport in college.

Before Rottinghaus leaves for college, she hopes to help extend Pine-Richland's WPIAL title streak and possibly get the Rams the elusive state playoff victory they've been seeking.

"We all expect to be the best players that we can possibly be," Rottinghaus said. "Having those expectations of each other and winning as a team has driven us in the past and will be key to winning another WPIAL championship."

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer