March 6, 2008

AMHERST, Mass.. - UMass field hockey head coach Justine Sowry has announced the addition of seven new players for next season. The newcomers for 2008 include six incoming freshmen and one transfer sophomore. The high school seniors who have signed Letters of Intent for 2008 are: Christine Cutry, Amanda Dietz, Emily Krueger, Nicole Panciocco, Callie Sweigart, and Alesha Widdall. Transfer Jackie Tait will join the Minutewomen as a sophomore, having played her freshman season at the University of Delaware.

"This class is a really important one with the loss of six seniors and pretty much half of the starting lineup," Sowry said. "The two areas we needed were leadership, losing that group, but also defensively, we really needed to cover both positions. We recruited in hockey-talented areas and also recruit players from winning programs who know how to get the job done. I think losing as many as we did, all of our incoming athletes will compete for a starting position. I think that we are recruiting at a high level and I am excited to see what the future hold for us over the next three or four years."

Christine Cutry
Cutry is a 5-4 defender from Medford, N.J. where she was a three-year member and two-year starter at Shawnee High School. She led Shawnee to the New Jersey Tournament of Champions in 2007 while also winning the Group III State Championship and reaching a ranking of No. 7 nationally. Cutry was named first team All-Conference and first team All-South Jersey in 2007 and was named a National Futures Tournament alternate in 2006 and 2007. The six-time Futures program member served as Shawnee's defensive flier on penalty corners and led a defense that posted 15 shutouts and allowed only four goals in 2007.

"Christine is a very athletic midfielder and defender," Sowry said. "We will look to play her at either of those lines. She comes from a talented hockey area and school, so coming from a successful program, bringing that winning mentality is really important. I see her competing for a starting spot."

Amanda Dietz
Dietz (pronounced Deetz) is a 5-7 defender/midfielder from Lehighton, Pa. where she was a three-year varsity player at Lehighton Area High School. She helped lead the team to three-straight Mountain Valley Conference Championships and Pennsylvania District XI AA Championships in 2005, 2006, and 2007. The 2007 second team All-State selection participated for three years with the Futures program, won a gold medal at the Summer Keystone State Games in 2005 and 2007, was named to the 2007 NFHCA National Academic Team. Dietz was also a four-year member of the varsity soccer team, serving as captain in 2007.

"Amanda comes from a very talented hockey area and she has good size and strength," Sowry said. "She sees the field very well, can read the play, and has a great understanding of the game. She is a big strong defender."

Emily Krueger
Krueger is a 5-2 defender from Canton, Mass., where she was a three-year starter for Canton High School. Her team amassed an amazing 41-1-4 record over the last two seasons, winning the Massachusetts State Championship in 2006 and an Eastern Mass. Championship in 2007, while serving as team captain. Krueger has participated in the Futures program for the last three years and represented Team Southeast in the Bay State Games in 2007, helping lead it to the championship, where also she took home the Sportsmanship Award. A National Honor Society member, she also was a captain on the indoor track team in 2007, going to states in the 4x200 relay.

"Emily is a complete student-athlete, holding herself to high standards both on and off the hockey field," Sowry said. "She will make an impact on both the defensive and midfield lines. Coming from Canton, the team that won the State Championship, Emily will enhance the winning mentality that we must foster here. I am excited that she has chosen to be a member of the team here and complete her degree in her home state."

Nicole Panciocco
Panciocco (pronounced Pan-see-oak-o) is a 5-4 midfielder from Walpole, Mass. where she was a starter for Walpole High School for three seasons, winning Division I State Championships in 2004 and 2006. The 2007 Bay State Games gold medalist participated in both the National Indoor and Outdoor Festivals for four years and in the Futures program in 2005. Panciocco was named All-Scholastic in 2007 by the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Daily Transcript. She was named first team Bay State League All-Star her senior year, while also serving as team captain. Panciocco is also a three-year starting pitcher for the Walpole softball team and played basketball with the Sparx AAU team.

"Nicole is an athletic midfielder, coming from a highly successful program in Walpole," Sowry said. "She has high energy, is very likable, and will compete at the midfield line. She also could see some time up on the forward line."

Callie Sweigart
Sweigart (pronounced Swag-urt) is a 5-5 defender from Ephrata, Pa. where she was a four-year varsity starter at Ephrata High School. The senior captain received several awards in 2007, including All-League, Section 2 first team All-Star, Ephrata's Defensive MVP, All-League Academic Team, All-State Academic Team, and second team All-State. She also attended the National Field Hockey Festival for three straight years (2005-2007). Sweigart is in the National Honor Society and a member of the Student Council. She was also a member of both the indoor and outdoor track teams at Ephrata for four years, winning league championships in several throwing events.

"Callie is a very well-rounded student-athlete, and she has a dominant presence on the field," Sowry said. "She is a defender with impressive distribution skills. She shows great leadership with not only her presence but with her communication skill. She will probably fill one of the back four spots and will compete for starting time without a doubt. I look for her to really play a pivotal role."

Jackie Tait
Tait is a 5-6 midfielder/defender that transfers to UMass after playing her freshman year at the University of Delaware. The Fredericksburg, Va. native started all 17 games for the Blue Hens last season, posting five assists while playing primarily in the backfield. Tait was varsity starter her senior year at Owen J. Roberts High School, and as a junior at Stafford High School, she led the team to the 2005 Virginia State Title with a 24-0 record. Tait has participated in the National Futures Tournament for three years (2005-07) and the Futures Elite in 2006-07. She was a member of the 2007 U-19 National Team that toured Argentina and played at the USA Junior National Camp in 2006 and 2007. Tait also participated with the USA High Performance Training Squad at College Park, Maryland.

"I actually worked with Jackie a little bit through US field hockey summer programs over the last couple of years," Sowry said. "She is a very enthusiastic hockey player, and has great knowledge and understanding of the game. She draws a lot of knowledge from the international game. She has spent bit of time in Argentina, so with her knowledge I am looking for her to be a leader on the field and helping the teammates around her. She will be a key figure for us over the next three years."

Alesha Widdall
Widdall (pronounced Wid-uhl) is a 5-7 goalkeeper from Whitney Point, N.Y. and regarded as one of the top goalkeeping recruits in the country. She was named NFHCA first team High School All-American in 2007 in addition to two-straight years as first team All-State. The U.S. Field Hockey Association selected her for the U-21 National Team, which will tour Argentina in March of this year. It is her second year as a member of the U-21 team and she was a member of the USFHA U-19 National Team in 2007 as well. Widdall has been involved in the Futures program since 2004 and was an Olympic Development selection in 2007-08, as well as the High Performance Training Camp Northeast Region.

"We are very fortunate to get one of the best goalkeepers in the country," Sowry said. "Alesha will make an immediate impact. She has the ability to change this program and take it to another level. She is big, strong, athletic, and not a lot of goals get past her. She will not only elevate the team to the next level but in the practice environment every day she will challenge our entire team to get better."

The Minutewomen, under the guidance of first-year head coach Sowry, returned to national prominence in 2007. UMass finished tied with Temple for the regular season Atlantic 10 title at 7-1, and then went on to defeat five-time defending champion Richmond and then Saint Joseph's to win its 10th A-10 Championship. The Minutewomen went on to defeat No. 17 Princeton on the road in an NCAA play-in game before falling to No. 4 Connecticut in the NCAA round of 16.