May 1, 2008

Fairfield, CT - Sacred Heart field hockey head coach Chris Blais has announced the Pioneers recruiting class for the coming season. Seven new faces will appear on the Campus Field turf this fall for the Pioneers. The new players come from all over the Northeast, including two newcomers from Connecticut.

Two players come to Sacred Heart following stints at the 2006 National Field Hockey Championship. New Hampshire natives Kate Boyd (Nottingham, NH) and Chelsea Carlson (Peterborough, NH) are both set to play up front for the Pioneers. Boyd was a team captain for Dover High School last season and was voted the Most Improved Player in 2006 when she was a member of the AAU Junior Olympic squad.

Carlson was also a member of that team and was a team captain for Contoocook High School. A skilled athlete with great understanding of the game according to Blais, Carlson was a three-time All-State First team selection and was named Offensive Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006.

Connecticut natives Alex Melillo (Southbury, CT) and Kelsey Cox (Monroe, CT) will join the Pioneer backfield next season. Melillo was a team captain as a senior at Pomperaug High School and participated in the 2007 U.S. Field Hockey Championships. Her play as a senior earned her first team All-State and All-League honors. She was a member of a two-time conference champion and a state semifinalist team as well.

Cox became an All-Conference goaltender at Masuk High School. She was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2006 and 2007. She was a first-team All-SWC selection in 2007 and a second team selection in 2006. Cox was also a 2007 Connecticut Post All-Area selection. "Kelsey has raw athletic ability," Blais said. "With very little goal keeping instruction she has developed the skills necessary to be a successful keeper."

Another award-winning defender joining the Pioneers this fall is Melissa "Tooter" Hancock (Mercer, ME). A 2007 team captain at Skowhegan High School, she was named 2007 Miss Maine Field Hockey. A two-time KVAC First Team selection, Hancock was also named to the "Morning Sentinel" 1st team and to the Maine Field Hockey Association All-State Class A Team. Hancock's performance in the classroom was also rewarded with a place on the 2007 Academic All-American team. "She is extremely skilled and has incredible vision, Blais said. "Her understanding of the game, confidence and poise will help to be strong force on the back line."

Rounding out the Pioneer class are Katie Mazin (Putnam Valley, NY) and Sam Moran (New Vernon, NJ). Mazin, the sister of current Pioneer Melissa Mazin, was a three year scholar athlete at Putnam Valley High School and member of the 2005 New York State Field Hockey Champions. She was an All-League selection in 2007 when she was also named to the North County News All Star Second Team.

Moran, a team captain at St. George's School, was a 2006 All-ISL honorable mention. "Sam is known for her excellence on the defensive end," Blais said. "Her ability to direct, channel and take away the opponents speed are exactly what we are looking for on the defensive end of our field."