Sisters Emilie and Steffi Katz of Newton have provided an early season boost to the Yale University field hockey team. ­Emilie was a unanimous 2015 first team All-Ivy League goalkeeper and Steffi is a midfielder and 2016 team captain.

Winners of just three games in each of the past two seasons, Yale was 3-1 prior to its Sept. 17 game at the University at Albany and Sept. 18 home game against Georgetown.

“Because Emilie keeps us in games we’re more confident going on the attack,’’ said Yale head coach Pam Stuper. “Her best attribute is her athleticism, and she thrives on pressure.Steffi was elected captain by majority vote that included last year’s seniors, which shows how she’s valued as a leader.’’

Emilie, 23, a senior, was a second team All-Mideast Region selection last season and the first Yale goalkeeper to garner regional honors. She was fourth nationally last season with a .791 save percentage and has continued her solid play. Steffi, 21, also a senior, has consistently been in the starting rotation since last season. She has a pair of assists this season. Both are National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-Academic honorees. Both were field hockey captains at the Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, where they helped win the New England Prep Class B tournament in 2011.

Q. What are the most meaningful attributes you bring to the team?

Emilie: My teammates would probably say intensity, how much I care about our success and the high standards I set for the team.

Steffi: There are times in a game or practice when things get too serious and I definitely add a perspective and sense of humor when needed.

Q. What would a winning season mean to you?

Emilie and Steffi: It has nothing to do with personal achievement, rather it’s our goal to leave the program with a positive legacy, to lay the foundation for future success, and to help our team reach its fullest potential.

Q. When did you first play field hockey?

Emilie and Steffi: We started while in elementary school in North Hampton, N.H., 12 years ago. Our parents encouraged us, and we loved it right away.

Q. Where were your internships this summer?

Steffi: In New York City at Barclays Investment Bank’s consumer retail group. I’ll return there full time after graduation.

Emilie: Also in New York with L’Oreal in their Consumer Products Division. I loved it. The industry is fascinating.

Q. How do you complement one another?

Steffi: Emmie has taught me a lot tactically; she has great game sense. She demands high standards from her teammates, and I’m no exception.

Emilie: I admire Steffi as a player and a person. I can always count on her for honest feedback. We spend a lot of time analyzing and discussing the game of field hockey.

Q. What is the most memorable game you have played at Yale?

Emilie and Steffi: Our final 2015 game, against Brown. Our 6-2 win was the culmination of our hard work during a very challenging season. We had played to our true potential. It was an incredibly empowering experience that has sustained the 2016 squad with so many returning players.

Q. How has coach Stuper influenced you?

Steffi: We’ve known Coach Stuper for about a decade; from my first camps at Yale as an 11-year-old, I remember her, a highly respected figure in the sport, playing with the rest of us on the field, embodying the fun and sheer joy to be had in field hockey.

Emilie: Her attributes that spring to mind are warmth, passion, and enthusiasm, her abiding commitment to Yale and to the women she has inspired and developed, not just as players but as accomplished individuals.

Q. What has being teammates meant to you?

Steffi: We’ve been playing together for so long that it’s inconceivable that we could ever play on opposing teams. The shared experience has served to deepen the bond between us.

Emilie: I can’t imagine playing field hockey without Steffi. We’re so fortunate to have the chance to be part of a great tradition of Yale student-athletes.

MARVIN PAVE

Pave can be reached at marvin.pave@rcn.com.