Field Hockey to Add Nine Athletes for Class of 2011
3/5/2007 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Kent, Ohio - Kent State University Head Field Hockey Coach Kathleen Schanne announced the intentions of nine student-athletes to join the Golden Flashes as part of the class of 2011.
"My coaching staff and I are very pleased with the addition of these nine outstanding student-athletes to our field hockey program here at Kent State University," said Schanne. "We are looking forward to the positive impact they will have throughout the team."
Stephanie Arbelaez (San Diego, Calif.), captain of Mira Mesa High School's varsity team, will be one of two players joining the Golden Flashes next season. Highlights of Arbelaez's senior year include a Most Valuable Player award and an All-Academic Team award. Throughout her high school career she has been involved with many USFHA tournaments and was selected to play in the National Futures Tournament as a sophomore. She was named to the All-Eastern League First Team as a senior and was a member of Mira Mesa's Eastern League co-championship team as a junior. Arbelaez was also a four-year letterwinner and team captain in soccer and competed in track & field, specializing the 100 and 300-meter hurdles. Arbelaez was also a member of the varsity soccer and softball teams at Mira Mesa.
Nicole Leach (San Diego, Calif.) of Mira Mesa High School will continue to call Arbelaez her teammate. After scoring 20 goals as a senior, Leach earned both All-Eastern League First Team honors and San Diego Union Tribune All-Academic Team honors for the second straight season. She earned Mira Mesa's Best Offensive Player award in three consecutive seasons. Leach was selected as an alternate for National Futures Tournament last summer. She was also nominated to play in the 2006 World Scholar-Athlete Games.
Katie Brautigan (Bernville, Pennsylvania) from Tulpehocken High School will call Murphy Mellis Field home this fall. Brautigan was named to the Pennsylvania All-State First Team in both 2005 and 2006. The team captain also earned All-County honors in both 2005 and 2006. As a junior, Brautigan finished third on the team in scoring with 15 goals and 13 assists. Outside of high school competition, she has played in the AAU Junior Olympics and the National Futures Tournament. In addition, she has had success in the classroom, earning spots on the Berks All-Academic Team in 2004 and 2005. Brautigan plays under Head Coach Sylvia Leffer-Shunk and has earned varsity letters in softball and basketball.
Crystal Gray (Smithtown, N.Y.) of Smithtown West High School will also head west to Kent, Ohio. A four-year varsity letterwinner, Gray racked up 17 goals and 18 assists throughout her high high school career. The midfielder was a team captain as a senior and earned spots on the all-division and all-county teams as a junior. Gray earned all-conference honors as a sophomore and has competed in an array of national tournaments. She was a National Futures participant in 2006 and was a member of the bronze medal-winning team at the 2006 Empire State Games. Gray has also competed in track & field and lacrosse at Smithtown West High School.
Bryn Stevens (Hummelstown, Pa.) helped Lower Dauphin to a Mid Penn Conference Championship, a District III Championship and a Pennsylvania State Championship this past season. She was selected to the Mid Penn Conference All-Star Team as a senior and claimed a spot on the Harrisburg Patriot News Second Team. In addition, Stevens has participated in three straight National Field Hockey Festivals. Stevens has served as a field hockey camp coach and camp counselor.
Caroline Suitch (Mountain, Pa.) was a member of Crestwood High School's district runner-up team this past fall. A goalkeeper, Suitch earned four varsity letters in high school, two at Crestwood and two at Bishop Hoban. As a sophomore, she held the best save percentage (.904) in the Wyoming Valley Conference and her 1.43 goals against average was the lowest in her division. In that same season, she was named to the Times Leader and Citizen's Voice Newspaper All-Star Honorable Mention Teams. Suitch competed in the 2006 Keystone Winter Games, leading her team to a first place finish. She was a Junior Olympic National Camp selection, an Olympic Development Select member and competed in the 2006 National Futures Elite Program. In addition, Suitch was a member of the 2006 U-19 Holland Tour Team.
Rachel Miller (Bathurst, Australia) of MacKillop College is one of two international players who will be joining the team in 2007 and will give Kent State representation from four different continents (North America, Europe, Africa and Australia). Miller has played on a number of national teams throughout her youth career including the Australian Under-19 Team and Australia's Under-21 Youth Olympic Team. In 2004, she earned MacKillop Player of the Year honors and the New South Wales Blues award. In 2006 Miller was tabbed Most Enthusiastic Senior Sportswoman. She also competed in cross country and tennis at MacKillop.
Megan Scraper (W. Vancouver, B.C.) of West Vancouver Secondary School hopes to follow in the footsteps of West Vancouver's Kate Perry who recently finished her Kent State career with 28 goals in four seasons. Scraper played on the British Columbia Provincial Team for two seasons and the British Columbia Northwest Regional Team in four consecutive seasons. She started at forward for West Vancouver Secondary in each of the past three seasons and served as team captain during her junior and senior years. As a junior, Scraper led her league in scoring and was named a North Shore AAA Conference All-Star. As a sophomore she was a member of West Vancouver's provincial AAA High School championship team. A multi-sport athlete, Scraper has competed in soccer, volleyball, basketball and track & field.
Katie George (Springfield, Pa. ) of Cardinal O'Hara High School will be the fourth player from Pennsylvania joining the KSU squad. George has won several awards throughout her high school career. She made the All-Catholic and All-News of Delaware County First Teams from 2004 through 2006. She also claimed spots on the All-Delco teams in three straight seasons including first team accolades as a senior. George was a member of Cardinal O'Hara's Catholic League championship team in 2004. She has also found success in the classroom, earning First Honors during all four years of high school.
