Not much could slow Marisa Frank, not even a pair of concussions.

The Bow resident recently completed her final year of competition at Ithaca College, where she was a key cog on the school’s Division-III field hockey team.

After sitting out one contest this season following her first head injury, Frank returned to the field, only to take another blow to the head from a ball.

The defender left the field and was thoroughly checked by the medical team before returning, completing the contest and then finding out she had suffered another concussion.

“After I got off, the other team scored two goals, and I just couldn’t be off the field anymore,” said Frank. “It’s torture from the sidelines, and I had to be back out there.”

It was that attitude that earned Frank the title of captain during her junior and senior years, an attitude she said she learned playing at Bow High School.

“It’s not defense and offense. You’re just a player. You do what’s necessary,” said Frank. “That intensity and the expectations for greatness had us push so hard. It made the transition to college so easy because coming into college that’s what’s expected on a daily basis.”

Frank’s coach at Ithaca, Tracey Houk, said Frank was the right choice for the captain’s role. “Having a captain who’s a junior is very rare for us,” said Houk. “She really leads by example, and obviously her teammates took notice of that.”

Although she’s completing her senior year, Frank is continuing her education by taking part in the school’s five-year program. When finished, she’ll earn her doctorate in physical therapy.

Each season, the Bombers take part in a timed mile to open preseason training, a run that begins at about 6 a.m. It wasn’t until this year’s early-morning run that Frank realized it was the beginning of the end of her playing career.

“We started running, and I said to myself, ‘Yes! I will never have to do one of these again,’” said Frank. “Then I realized, ‘Oh, no! I’ll never get to do one of these again.’”

And following the run, Frank and her fellow seniors agreed to pour themselves into their final season. It paid off. The Bombers won eight times, the team’s highest total since 2003. Frank, who made three defensive saves and added her first career assist this year, has been piling up postseason accolades.

She was chosen to the All- Empire 8 first team for the second straight year and recognized on the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III All-Region team. But there was one honor that Frank prizes even more.

When the Empire 8 handed out its awards, Frank earned the Sportswoman of the Year Award for the second year in a row. “You can put all your energy out, and it can affect how you play in the game, but if you don’t play with class or respect, it takes away from the game,” Frank said.