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Widdall & Dostal Named To National Developmental Team
June 29, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. - USA Field Hockey this weekend announced the twenty-four member roster for the 2009-2010 Women's National Team and the sixteen members of the 2009-2010 Women's Developmental Team. UMass sophomore goalkeeper and assistant coach Kelly Dostal were both named to the Developmental Team as USA Field Hockey prepares for the 2010 World Cup qualifying and 2012 Olympic Games. The selections were announced at the conclusion of the 2009 Women's National Championship in Virginia Beach, Va. Dostal, Widdall, and graduated midfielder Mary Shea all played for the New England team in the competition, which is 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. Widdall had a stellar freshman season between the pipes for the Minutewomen. The Whitney Point, N.Y. native posted a 14-5 record with a 1.06 goals against average, a .792 save percentage, and seven shutouts. She led the Atlantic 10 in goals against average and save percentage, while ranking fourth and sixth nationally, respectively. Widdall was named A-10 Co-Rookie of the Year, All-Conference First Team, NFHCA All-Region, and Second Team All-American. Widdall has been highly involved in USA Field Hockey throughout her playing career, participating in the Futures program, the High Performance Training Centers, and the U-19 and U-21 National Teams.
2009 will be Dostal's third season as an assistant coach of the Minutewomen. The Hatfield, Mass. native was just 17 in 2001 when she became the youngest player ever named to the National Team. She was a three-time National Champion and All-American at Wake Forest, winning the Honda Award in 2004 as the National Player of the Year, before rejoining the U.S. National Team in 2005. Since coming to UMass, where she and Chrissy Needham assist head coach Justine Sowry, the staff has posted a record of 31-14 in two seasons, winning the A-10 Championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament each year.
Members of the 2009-2010 Women's Developmental Team with their college and hometown: |
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