Bridget and Katie DeSandis are used to being together. The twins looked at some of the same colleges before their freshmen years in 2009. But if it wasn't for their love of Columbia, one might have been swayed the other way.

The difficult recruiting process began when they sat down with their parents to talk about schools. The 2009 Emmaus graduates knew they didn't have to go to the same school, but it would have been convenient for their parents. It was their mother, Ann, who urged them to take a strong look at Columbia. The rest is history.

Now, heading into their senior campaigns, Bridget and Katie's success has led them to be captains of the field hockey team, voted on by their teammates.

"I think it's a great honor, especially being voted by our teammates," Bridget said. "It's something you always dream of to be named captain of your team. It really shows that our teammates trust us and our leadership to carry the team. I was happy that my team felt that way about me."

The transition has been smooth for the twins. Katie has started since day one, and Bridget burst onto the scene after an injury plagued first half of her freshmen season.

It helps coming from such a successful high school program as Emmaus, which both girls credited to their collegiate success on and off the field.

"It was awesome having the opportunity to play right away," Katie said. "Emmaus was such an amazing high school, and we had a great upbringing with that and doing the futures program there was helpful. We really had a big experience level already coming into college. I just went out there and played my usual game and luckily that was good enough to get me on the field right away. We were definitely well prepared for this transition because of Emmaus."

The two are also very versatile. Currently, they are the backbone of the Lions defense, starting as center backs. But both have played midfield in their careers at Columbia. Bridget has two goals to her name, and Katie four.

"There is a big difference playing in college compared to playing in high school, especially at the Division I level," said Bridget. "The Astroturf and just the overall speed of the other athletes make it tough in competition."

Columbia finished in second place in the Ivy League in 2011, behind Princeton and fellow Hornet Allison Evans.

Time management is also a crucial aspect to their daily schedules. With class, practice, games, dinner and studying, the girls have little time to themselves. Katie majors in anthropology and Bridget is majoring in Psychology. They give parents Ann and Peter something to be proud of and only having to make one drive each time to see them both play is a plus.

With two one-goal losses to open the season, the DeSandis-led Lions look to bounce back and once again be near the top of the Ivy League standings when its all said and done.