Three Leopard first year players will report to Spooky Nook in Lancaster,Pa today to begin practices for the National Futures Tournament (NFC). Practices begin today and games will be played Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, the 24th,25th and 26th. The tournament is the premier championship event for USA Field Hockey’s Futures Program and Olympic Development Pipeline. The NFC brings together the top female field hockey players selected from 4,700 athletes across nine regions for a high level multi-day tournament style competition.
The USA Field Hockey High Performance staff will select top talent to represent the United States in other elite programs. The three selected who will wear the Maroon and White this fall are GK Hailey Abbott, Midfielder/ Attacker Molly McAndrew, and forward Alix Talkow. Abbot and Talkow will play on the same team (London), while McAndrew will play on the Athens team.
As of today London will play at 10 and 12 pm Sunday the 24th, 8:30 and 11:30 Monday the 25th and Tues at 10 am the 26th before playing a final game to decide standings that afternoon.
Athens will play 9am and 12 pm on Sunday the 24th, 7:30 and 12:30 on Monday the 25th and Tues at 8 am before the afternoon championship games.
All three of course, will be in the under 19 division where they will be with others who have already committed to attend various colleges and universities. According to Lisa McCoy, USA Field Hockey’s Director of Futures and International Events,” We are excited to welcome this year’s selected athletes to the NFC. It is a great opportunity for athletes to perform their best with great competition while cultivating new friendships.”
Admission is free and the championship games will be live streamed on Tuesday the 26th. These three recruits join our three Young Women’s National Tournament selectees ( Theresa Delahanty, Lisa Welch and Sarah Park) who will begin practice next week and play in their own championship the following weekend.
Preseason for the Leopards begins in early August and these events along with the Leopards recent South Africa tour will ensure everyone arrives in shape and ready to learn and play. The first scrimmage against collegiate competition will be at Monmouth at 1pm on the 14th of August, less than 60 days from today.
Lafayette College Field Hockey 