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Three Lady Monarch Alums Named To Field Hockey's National Team
June 29, 2009
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Three Lady Monarchs were named to the twenty-four member U.S. National Team roster for 2009-2010 it was announced over the weekend by USA Field Hockey. "I'm very happy with the team we've selected," said USA head coach Lee Bodimeade. "We are looking at qualifying for the 2010 World Cup and towards the 2012 Olympic Games." Among the Lady Monarch alumni are Tiffany (Snow) Huisman ('03), Melissa Leonetti ('04), and Caroline Nichols ('06). Huisman (Escondido, Calif.) has been a member of the national team since 2003 and was apart of the team which participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Having made 109 career international appearances with the national squad, she has also particpated in the 2005 Rabobank Champions Challenge, 2006 World Cup, 2007 AtaHoldings Champions Challenge, 2007 Pan Am Games, and 2009 Pan American Cup. She was ODU field hockey's sixth Honda Award winner in 2002 after leading the country in points and goals per game during her senior campaign. The 2002 CAA Player of the Year, Huisman finished her career ranked sixth on the Old Dominion all-time goals leaders list (71) and also ranks sixth on the all-time points leaders list (182). She was a two-time First Team All-American, earning the honors in 2001 and 2002. Huisman was also a member of the 2000 national championship squad, Old Dominion field hockey's ninth national title, and the 2002 squad, which reached the Final Four.
Nichols (Va. Beach, Va.) was also among the four former Lady Monarchs to be a member of the 2008 Beijing Olympic roster. Nichols became the first CAA student-athlete in history to sweep CAA Player and Defender of the Year honors in the same season, doing so during her senior campaign in 2006. During that season she was also named a First Team All-American by the NFHCA and the VaSID Player of the Year in the state of Virginia. A top defense woman, she helped the Lady Monarchs to 12 shutouts in 2006 and seven in 2005. Nichols joined the US National Team in 2007 and in addition to her Olympic appearance, has also taken to the turf with Team USA in the 2007 AtaHoldings Champions Challenge and 2009 Pan American Cup.
A former fiery leader of the Old Dominion defense, Leonetti's (Erdenheim, Pa.) career as a Lady Monarch included two All-America honors and the distinction of being named the 2003 CAA Defensive Player of the Year. For her ODU career, Leonetti amassed 14 goals, 38 assists, and 66 points and was a two-time First Team All-CAA selection and a two-time First Team All-South Region pick. In the backfield she helped the Lady Monarchs to 35 shutouts. Leonetti has been a member of the US National Team since 2003 and participated at the 2004 Pan American Cup, 2005 Champions Challenge, 2006 World Cup, 2007 AtaHolding Championships Challenge, and 2007 World Hockey Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Leonetti has appeared in 80 international games. The selections were announced at the conclusion of the 2009 Women's National Championship in Virginia Beach, VA. The competition was a round-robin tournament featuring the top athletes from USA Field Hockey's six regional High Performance Centers. Beginning in the early spring, High Performance Centers serving seven regions conduct open trials for college-age and older athletes. Once selected to a Center, athletes receive elite-level training from some of the nation's top coaches over the course of the spring. At the conclusion of the program, each Center selects a team to represent its region at the National Championships. Athletes competing in the tournament have the opportunity for selection to the U.S. National Squad.
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