STORRS, Conn. – Four UConn field hockey players will have the opportunity to try-out for a spot on the 2014-2015 roster of the United States Women’s National Field Hockey Team by competing in the Senior National Championships in Lancaster, Pa. this week from June 16-21.
Marie Elena Bolles (Phoenixville, Pa.), Olivia Bolles (Phoenixville, Pa.), Chrissy Davidson (West Lawn, Pa.), and Nina Klein (Topton, Pa.) will be competing with the most talented field hockey players in the country in their quest to earn a spot on the U.S. National Team. All four players were members of UConn’s 2013 National Championship team.
Each player is one of 133 that will be playing in front of U.S. head coach Craig Parnham and his staff of assistants as they choose which players will accompany them for the next year of international play.
Players at the Senior National Championships are either currently enrolled in or recently graduated from college. They are selected from U.S.A. Field Hockey’s High Performance Training Centers across the country, which help to identify, train, and provide premiere skill competitions for potential National Team athletes.
The players are broken up into eight teams: Courage, Eagles, Freedom, Patriots, Under 21, USA Blue, USA Red, and USA White. UConn’s own Associate Head Coach Paul Caddy will be coaching USA Blue.
Forward Marie Elena Bolles, a recently graduated senior, was the 2013 Division I National Player of the Year, becoming the first UConn player to win the award and helping to lead the Huskies to their third national title in program history. Bolles was also named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team, the All-Big East Tournament Team, and is a three-time All-Big East First Team member. She finished her UConn career eighth all-time in goals scored (47) and sixth in points (129).
Bolles’ sister, Olivia, will be entering her sophomore season at UConn in the fall of 2014. The second-year midfielder saw significant playing time last season, earning 23 starts while recording four points on four assists throughout the year. Her defensive prowess helped the Huskies hold opponents to only 29 total goals in 2013.
Rising senior Chrissy Davidson was named to the All-Big East Second Team for the first time in her collegiate career in 2013. The Husky midfielder started in all 25 games, tying for third on the team with 12 assists. She had four games with multiple assists and finished fourth in the Big East with 0.57 assist per game. It was Davidson’s goal in a penalty shootout that sealed a win for the Huskies in the NCAA Semifinal against North Carolina, which set the stage for their national title victory.
Goalkeeper Nina Klein will look to fill the gap between the pipes for the Huskies this season with the departure of graduating senior Sarah Mansfield. The freshman redshirted her first year, keeping her four years of eligibility intact for the future. At Brandywine Heights High School, Klein was honored as a Pennsylvania Field Hockey Coaches Association First Team All-State selection in 2011 and 2012.
Comments are closed.