June 7, 2007

VILLANOVA, Pa. - During her time as the head coach of Villanova's field hockey team, Joanie Milhous has displayed a knack for spotting talent among local student-athletes. This year's recruiting class proves to be no different, as it is comprised of eight girls from Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. With the fall season rapidly approaching, the future class of 2011 is expected to make an immediate impact on the program upon their arrival on the Main Line.

"We continuously claim that our incoming freshmen class is the most talented, and we are saying it once again. It just keeps getting better and better," says Milhous. "These eight young ladies possess great attitudes and unbelievable field hockey skills. We are looking for this freshmen class to make immediate contributions and are excited to see them join our current players on the field."

The incoming freshman class includes Caroline Boris (Shavertown, Pa.), Colleen Childs (Gaithersburg, Md.), Samantha Haas (Warrington, Pa.), Meg Ryan (Wayne, Pa.), Meredith Sabatini (Haddonfield, N.J.), Ally Smith (Mullica Hill, N.J.), Abby Sordoni (Shavertown, Pa.), and Lauren Wuzzardo (Bridgeton, N.J.).

Boris, a 5'9" goalkeeper, will join her older sister, Allison, this fall as she dons the Wildcat uniform. As a natural athlete, Boris excelled in field hockey, soccer, and swimming over her four years at Lake Lehman High School. While contending for the starting goalkeeping position, Boris also looks to achieve high marks in the classroom where she plans on majoring in biology. The Shavertown, Pa. native was an active, four-year member of her high school's National Honor Society, as well as a semi-finalist in the Best and Brightest in English and Literature in her senior year.

Childs, a 5'10" defender, will travel the furthest to play on the Main Line. Hailing from Gaithersburg, Md., Childs was a two-sport student-athlete at Quince Orchard High School, where she participated in the field hockey and lacrosse programs. Over her four-year high school stint, Childs racked up numerous accolades in both the athletic and academic realms. Not only did Childs serve as team captain for two consecutive years, but she also received recognition as a member of the All-Gazette and All-County teams while leading her high school team to becoming the Maryland 4A State Champions this past fall. In addition, Childs was an active participant in the highly touted USFHA Futures Program for the past three years.

Haas, a 5'5" midfielder, collected three varsity letters in field hockey under head coach Margarette Hutchinson at Central Bucks South High School. She was her team's assist leader for her junior and senior years, when she also participated on the area's All-Star Team and received All-League Honorable Mention. Haas honed her skills as a member of the USFHA Elite Futures Program for three years, with her team winning the bronze medal in the 2005 Futures National Tournament. As a four-year member of her high school's National Honor Society, Haas obtained Distinguished Honors over three of those years for her academic performance.

Ryan, a 5'7" forward, boasts 75 career goals and 40 assists at Villa Maria Academy in Malvern, Pa. During her high school career, Ryan received both local and state recognitions for her outstanding play. Most recently, she was named the 2006 Player of the Year for the Main Line Times, as well as the Chester County Daily Local. Ryan also garnered All-State honors in her junior and senior campaigns. In 2006 she secured a spot on the All-State First Team, while collecting second team honors in 2005. In addition, Ryan acquired Catholic Academy All-Star and First Team All-Area honors in 2005 and 2006.

Sabatini, a 5'8" forward, has been Haddonfield Memorial High School field hockey's leading scorer for the past three years totaling 55 goals. As a senior co-captain, she helped lead her team to the New Jersey Group II State Championship game last fall. During her senior campaign, Sabatini was named to the South Jersey Senior All-Star Team, while collecting First Team All-South Jersey honors. Over her junior and senior year stretch, she was also acknowledged as a member of the New Jersey First Team All-Group II and First Team All-Colonial Conference teams. As a National Honors Society member, Sabatini plans to study in Villanova's renowned Nursing School.

Smith, a 5' 3" midfielder, joins former high school teammate and current Villanova sophomore Dana Ramsden on the Main Line. Recognized as the Top Female Athlete for her high school, Smith was a three-sport standout at Kingsway Regional. For her year-round solid performances, Smith was selected as her teams' captain for field hockey, indoor track, and softball during her senior year. Smith is also two-time First Team Tri-County and All-Area selection. She acquired Second Team Group III All-South Jersey honors as a junior, while upgrading as a first team selection in her final season. In addition, Smith was named her team's Most Valuable Player for Defense and Offense in her junior and senior years, respectively.

Sordoni, a 5'9" forward, registered 37 goals and 14 assists during her career at Wyoming Seminary Prep School. Under head coach Karen Klassner, Sordoni led her team to the 2006 State Championship where she scored the lone goal to gain the prominent title. As a three year member of the USFHA Elite Futures Program, Sordoni was part of the gold medal winning team at the 2006 National Futures Tournament. In 2004, she was selected as a member of the New Jersey All-State Second Team. After receiving the Wyoming Seminary Karen Klassner Award in 2005 for her perseverance through an injury, Sordoni bounced back to garner First Team All-State honors in her senior year. Most recently, the dedicated senior was named Wyoming Seminary's Outstanding Female Athlete of 2007.

Wuzzardo rounds out the talented future class of 2011. The 5'7" Bridgetown, N.J. native has excelled as both a midfielder and forward at Cumberland Regional High School. At the end of her high school career, Wuzzardo ranked second in goals scored with 63 and sixth in assists with 31. For her tremendous play, Wuzzardo has been recognized locally, as well as statewide. She was a three-time First Team All-Conference and two-time First Team Group III selection. In her senior campaign alone, Wuzzardo collected first team praise for All-South Jersey, the Daily Journal, and All-Press for the Atlantic City Press. In addition, she was chosen to play in the Senior Showcase All-Star Game and received Athlete of the Year honors.

This talented incoming class will join Villanova's current players in August with aspirations of getting back to the BIG EAST Tournament, while improving their 2006 overall record of 13-8.