University of Connecticut Athletics
Field Hockey Adds 12 Incoming Players
7/11/2017 12:00:00โฏAM | Field Hockey
STORRS, Conn. - The UConn field hockey team welcomes 12 newcomers to the program for the 2017 season - including two players from the state of Connecticut and three from overseas - as it enters the campaign as five-time reigning Big East champions.
Head coach Nancy Stevens, the all-time wins leader in collegiate field hockey history (639), welcomes her incoming group for her 28th season at UConn and 39th overall as a head coach.
The Huskies, 2016 NCAA semifinalists, return 14 players from the 2016 roster - highlighted by the program's all-time points and assists leader in senior Charlotte Veitner. Redshirt senior Nina Klein returns as goalkeeper, allowing a conference-best 1.22 goals per game last season.
UConn's program will get a boost from the newcomers, who will travel to Storrs from as far as Australia and the Netherlands. 10 of the 12 incoming students were multi-sport athletes in high school - playing field hockey, as well as lacrosse, softball, or track.
"Our coaching staff is eager to welcome such a talented and diverse class of freshmen to preseason practices in August. This class includes strikers, midfielders, backs and a goalkeeper; so they literally could field an entire team," said Stevens.
"We welcome players from the Netherlands, Australia and five states in the U.S. This group brings talent, passion and a love for the game and several players will be expected to contribute from day one."
A multitude of team captains, MVPs, All-State, All-County and state champions make-up the list of first-year players for the Huskies. In early August, these players will report for practice as UConn focuses on the date of Aug. 25 - the home-opener against Stanford.
The complete list of incoming student-athletes is below:
Hometown: Landisburg, Pa.
Position: Forward
High School: West Perry High School
Two-sport athlete in field hockey and track at West PerryรยขรขโยฌรยฆFour-year letter winner in field hockey, serving as captain in senior seasonรยขรขโยฌรยฆMid-Penn All-Star in her junior and senior yearsรยขรขโยฌรยฆPart of the East Coast Field Hockey Club for seven years, traveling to Trinidad and Tobago, Germany, the Netherlands, and Barbados to train with and play against each country's club and national teamsรยขรขโยฌรยฆParticipated in the USA Field Hockey Futures and Field Hockey FestivalรยขรขโยฌรยฆCompeted in USA Field Hockey's Junior Premiere Indoor and Outdoor Leagues, winning first place in the Outdoor with the U-16 team in 2015รยขรขโยฌรยฆTwo-year letter winner in trackรยขรขโยฌรยฆDistinguished honors all four years of high school.
Hometown: Gloucester, Mass.
Position: Forward
High School: Gloucester High School
Three-year letter winner in field hockey and four-year letter winner in lacrosse at Gloucester HighรยขรขโยฌรยฆBoston Herald All-Scholastic Field Hockey playerรยขรขโยฌรยฆMVP of the Northeastern ConferenceรยขรขโยฌรยฆCaptain and All-Conference as a junior and seniorรยขรขโยฌรยฆGloucester Daily Times Female Athlete of the YearรยขรขโยฌรยฆSelected to Massachusetts Best of 60 All-Star GameรยขรขโยฌรยฆTeam-leading scorer as junior and seniorรยขรขโยฌรยฆNortheastern Conference champions in lacrosse in 2015 and 2016รยขรขโยฌรยฆAll-Conference lacrosse playerรยขรขโยฌรยฆCompeted at Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center as a member of the track teamรยขรขโยฌรยฆNational Honor Society memberรยขรขโยฌรยฆAcademic achievement of averaging 90 or better all four yearsรยขรขโยฌรยฆRecognized by Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association of the Northeast as an outstanding female athlete who demonstrates leadership in the community.
Hometown: Hamden, Conn.
Position: Midfield
High School: Hamden High School
Multi-sport athlete in field hockey and softball at Hamden High SchoolรยขรขโยฌรยฆEarned three letters in field hockey, serving as team captain in senior seasonรยขรขโยฌรยฆAll-State First Team and First Team All-ConferenceรยขรขโยฌรยฆRanked fourth in the Southern Connecticut Conference in scoringรยขรขโยฌรยฆSelected to play in Senior All-Star GameรยขรขโยฌรยฆAll-Academic First Team athleteรยขรขโยฌรยฆEarned four letters in softballรยขรขโยฌรยฆNamed All-Conference Second Team in 2017 and selected to play in the Umpires game (2017)รยขรขโยฌรยฆMember of National Honor SocietyรยขรขโยฌรยฆHigh honors all four years of high school.
Hometown: Pittsford, N.Y.
Position: Forward
Before UConn: Pittsford Sutherland High School
Transferred to UConn after two years at Siena CollegeรยขรขโยฌรยฆPlayed in 11 games as a sophomore at SienaรยขรขโยฌรยฆNamed to the MAAC All-Academic Team and NFHCA Academic SquadรยขรขโยฌรยฆAppeared in 16 games as a freshman, becoming the program's first MAAC Rookie of the Week on Oct. 13รยขรขโยฌรยฆEarned three letters in field hockey and track and field at Pittsford Sutherland High SchoolรยขรขโยฌรยฆAll-State player in field hockeyรยขรขโยฌรยฆFirst Team All-Monroe County and First Team All-Greater Rochesterรยขรขโยฌรยฆ.Scored 26 goals and accounted for 20 assists in her high school careerรยขรขโยฌรยฆCaptain of the track and field team, setting a school record in the 4x4 relayรยขรขโยฌรยฆFirst Team All-Monroe County as a sprinterรยขรขโยฌรยฆScholar-athlete at Pittsford Sutherland.
Hometown: Sewell, N.J.
Position: Forward
High School: Paul VI High School
Multi-sport athlete in field hockey and track, earning four letters in bothรยขรขโยฌรยฆVarsity starter for four years in field hockeyรยขรขโยฌรยฆFirst Team All-Conference in 2014, 2015, and 2016รยขรขโยฌรยฆVarsity captain in 2015 and 2016รยขรขโยฌรยฆLeading goal scorer at Paul VI in 2013, 2014 and 2016รยขรขโยฌรยฆFirst Team All-State Nonpublic, Fall of 2016รยขรขโยฌรยฆFirst Team All-Conference in track from 2014 to 2016รยขรขโยฌรยฆCompeted in 4x400 relay, 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash and 400 meter dashรยขรขโยฌรยฆNamed MVP of her high school track team and broke school record in 200 meter dash with a time of 25.75รยขรขโยฌรยฆFirst Honors academically in 2013-14 and 2014-15รยขรขโยฌรยฆNational Honor Society member as junior and senior.
Hometown: Sherman, Conn.
Position: Midfield
High School: New Fairfield High School
Two-year letter winner in field hockey and four-year letter winner in lacrosseรยขรขโยฌรยฆSenior captain for field hockey at New FairfieldรยขรขโยฌรยฆFirst Team All-State and All-SWC in her final seasonรยขรขโยฌรยฆSenior captain for lacrosseรยขรขโยฌรยฆFirst Team All-SWC as a lacrosse playerรยขรขโยฌรยฆFour-year honor roll student.
Jess Dembrowski
Hometown: Palmyra, Pa.
Position: Midfield
High School: Palmyra Area High School
Three-sport athlete at Palmyra Area High SchoolรยขรขโยฌรยฆFour-year letter winner in field hockey and track, two letters in basketballรยขรขโยฌรยฆField hockey captain as a junior and seniorรยขรขโยฌรยฆ2016 Mid Penn Player of the Year, First Team Regional All-American and First Team NFHCA All-AmericanรยขรขโยฌรยฆSecond Team Regional All-American and Mid Penn All-Star as a juniorรยขรขโยฌรยฆLed team to three District 3 AAA ChampionshipsรยขรขโยฌรยฆTrack and field captain as a seniorรยขรขโยฌรยฆFirst-place finishes in the 4x800 and 4x400 as a sophomore at the Pan Ram Invitational, Lebanon County Invitational, and Mid Penn Conference Meet.
Hometown: Watertown, Mass.
Position: Forward
High School: Watertown High School
Four-year letter winner in field hockey, while earning three letters in lacrosseรยขรขโยฌรยฆSenior captain for field hockey in 2016รยขรขโยฌรยฆMiddlesex League All-Star and MVP in her final seasonรยขรขโยฌรยฆTwo-time Boston Globe All-Scholastic Player of the Year and Boston Herald All-ScholasticรยขรขโยฌรยฆTwo-time NFHCA All-Region Team and NFHCA Second Team All-AmericanรยขรขโยฌรยฆLeading point-scorer in Massachusetts as junior and seniorรยขรขโยฌรยฆFour-time Massachusetts Division II State ChampionsรยขรขโยฌรยฆHigh School team went 93-0 in her field hockey careerรยขรขโยฌรยฆEnded career with 112 goals and 92 assistsรยขรขโยฌรยฆWatertown Field Hockey team currently holds national record of games without a loss at 183รยขรขโยฌรยฆParticipated in National Futures Championship each year from 2012 to 2016รยขรขโยฌรยฆFutures Elite in 2013 and 2014รยขรขโยฌรยฆCompeted in Junior Olympics from 2013-2015รยขรขโยฌรยฆPlayed at Junior National Camp in 2014 and 2015รยขรขโยฌรยฆParticipated on Boston Field Hockey ClubรยขรขโยฌรยฆCaptained lacrosse her junior yearรยขรขโยฌรยฆHonor roll student.
Hometown: Perth, Western Australia
Position: Midfield
High School: Methodist Ladies' College
Successful field hockey career at Methodist Ladies' CollegeรยขรขโยฌรยฆElected as Co-Sports Prefect in 2016รยขรขโยฌรยฆFrom 2015-17, selected in Hockey WA Talent Accelerant Program (TAP) GirlsรยขรขโยฌรยฆNamed Best Junior Hockey Player in Methodist Ladies' College K Maddock Cupรยขรขโยฌรยฆ2016 Certificate of Merit as awarded by Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE).
Hometown: Palmyra, Pa.
Position: Goalkeeper
High School: Palmyra Area High School
Multi-sport athlete in field hockey and lacrosse, earning three letters in bothรยขรขโยฌรยฆThree-year varsity starter in field hockeyรยขรขโยฌรยฆHelped team reach three PIAA AAA state championship finals from 2014 through 2016, winning the title in 2014รยขรขโยฌรยฆWon Mid Penn Championship in 2015, as well as four conference titles in Keystone and Mid Penn DivisionsรยขรขโยฌรยฆTeam captain as a senior at Palmyra Area High SchoolรยขรขโยฌรยฆThree-time selection to Lebanon Daily News' All-Lebanon County Teamรยขรขโยฌรยฆ2016 First Team All-State and Mid Penn First Team All-StarรยขรขโยฌรยฆMax Prep top 100 players for the Class of 2021รยขรขโยฌรยฆMember of the 2016 U-19 National Indoor Developmental SquadรยขรขโยฌรยฆWon four NIT Championships in club field hockey with the PA MavericksรยขรขโยฌรยฆSelected for National Futures Tournament in 2016รยขรขโยฌรยฆMid Penn First Team All-Star in 2017 for lacrosseรยขรขโยฌรยฆLacrosse team captain in 2017รยขรขโยฌรยฆPalmyra all-time leader in goals and points from the attack positionรยขรขโยฌรยฆNFHCA All-Academic Squad in 2015 and 2016.
Hometown: Auburn, N.Y.
Position: Midfield
High School: Auburn High School
Originally from the NetherlandsรยขรขโยฌรยฆMulti-sport athlete in field hockey and lacrosse, earning two letters in both at Auburn High SchoolรยขรขโยฌรยฆNamed All-County and All-State in field hockey, while serving as team captainรยขรขโยฌรยฆParticipated in USA Field Hockey's National Futures Championship in 2016รยขรขโยฌรยฆSecond Team All-League and named Most Valuable Defender in lacrosseรยขรขโยฌรยฆHonors student in classroom.
Margot van Hecking Colenbrander
Hometown: Voorburg, Netherlands
Position: Defender
Before UConn: Christelijk Lyceum Zandvliet
Selected for Dutch Indoor Team in 2016 and played games against the national teams for Ukraine and AustraliaรยขรขโยฌรยฆParticipating in the World Cup and European Championship with the national indoor team in 2018รยขรขโยฌรยฆPlaying on the National U-18 girls' teamรยขรขโยฌรยฆBecame national champion in indoor hockey with her U-16 club team in 2015รยขรขโยฌรยฆIn 2016, played in the indoor and outdoor national finals with the U-18 team.
