UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; May 22, 2006 ¨C Penn State field hockey coach Char Morett has announced the signing of six players for the 2006 season. The class is led by two of the country¡¯s top high school players, Brooke Hoffsmith and Amy Bonenberger, both fromPalmyra High School.
Hoffsmith, a midfielder from Annville, Pa., was named a first team All-American as well as first team All-State last season. She was a three-time All-State pick. She helped lead Palmyra to the state title and three straight district titles. Hoffsmith is the younger sister of current player Erica Hoffsmith.
¡°Brooke has a lot of savvy,¡± said Morett, ¡°She has good stick skills and really shows a lot of poise when she has the ball.¡±
Bonenberger is a midfielder from Lebanon, Pa. She had 19 assists her senior year to lead Palmyra to the state title. She was honored as a second-team All-American and joined Hoffsmith as a first team All-State performer. She was a first team All-State selection for three straight years. She was also a first team All-Mideast Region selection as well as a three year All-County pick.
¡°Amy has a really long reach and can look to be a sideline player where she can utilize that reach,¡± said Morett.
Joining the Palmyra teammates will be a duo from Council Rock North High School, Gina Bartolacci and Bethany Marvel.
Bartolacci, a forward, hails from Washington Crossing, Pa. A team captain, she scored 13 goals her senior year to lead the Indians to a 17-4 record. She was a Suburban One League honorable mention selection in 2004 and 2005. She also played for the Mystx club team at the National Hockey Festival, where her team won its bracket for the last three years. Bartolacci has also excelled academically. She was an Academic All-American all four years of high school.
¡°Gina is a forward with a lot of speed,¡± said Morett. ¡°We¡¯re looking to use her speed and develop her skills to have an impact on our forward line.¡±
Teammate Bethany Marvel is a midfielder with the ability to also play on the back line. Marvel, from Newtown, Pa., was a first team All-State selection her senior year after scoring 21 goals. She was also named Bucks County Courier-Times Player of the Year.
¡°I am really impressed with Bethany¡¯s presence on the field,¡± said Morett. ¡°She is also very effective in the offensive corner situations.¡±
Two players from Virginia Beach will join the squad as well. Laura Cahill, a defender, is the younger sister of former player Sara Cahill, who finished her career last season. Cahill, a starter all four years, was an All-Beach district first team selection in 2004 and 2005. She was also a second team All-Region selection her junior and senior years.
¡°We are impressed with her communication skills, her game sense and her ability to position and organize,¡± said Morett.
Sarah Dickens is a midfielder from Cox High School in Virginia Beach. Dickens scored 14 goals to lead the Falcons to the district championship in 2004 and 2005. A team captain, she also led Cox to a state-runner up finish in 2004.
¡°Sarah¡¯s a midfield player. We saw her play at Festival and she¡¯ll develop as a playmaker for us,¡± said Morett.
The Nittany Lions are coming off a 17-4 season in which they won the Big Ten regular season crown.They lose five seniors in Megan Akstin (Pughkeepsie, N.Y.), Natalie Berrena (State College, Pa.), Bekah Hostetler (Hershey, Pa.), Sara Cahill (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Molly Schriver (Kenilworth, Ill.). Key returners for the Nittany Lions include first team All-Big Ten selection and third team All-American junior Kiersten Wood (Lititz, Pa.) and second team All-Mideast Region pick Shaun Banta (Gibbsboro, N.J.). Head Coach Char Morett returns for her 20th season after being named the 2005 Mideast Region Coach of the Year. During her reign, Morett has led the Lions to a 310-108-8 record, 17 NCAA appearances, four Big Ten titles, and three Big Ten Tournament titles.
