Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Field Hockey Announces Newest Recruiting Class
8/7/2009 8:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Aug. 7, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell field hockey welcomes its newest additions for the 2009 season. The five-person freshman class boasts four all-state selections, two school record-holding scorers and a wealth of club experience. The quintet of Amy Atkins (Millington, N.J./Watchung Hills Regional), Ellie Barrett (Fauquier, Va./Fauquier), Katie Durkin (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan), Caroline Merrell (Wolfboro, Mass./Kingswood Regional) and Tayler Siegrist (Madison, N.J./Madison) will kick off their careers when the Bison take on Albany on the road on Saturday, August 29.
Atkins was a four-year letterwinner in field hockey during her high school career. The team captain as a senior, she broke Watchung Hills' scoring record for a career as well as a single season. Atkins was twice named her squad's Outstanding Player of the Year, while she also earned two consecutive First Team All-County, All-Conference and All-Area, and Third Team All-State selections. Away from the field, Atkins was named a New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete.
Second-year head coach Jeremy Cook will be looking for solid contributions at forward from the young player who was coached in high school by her mother, a former field hockey player at Penn.
"She is going to develop into a force up front, is very athletic and has a knack for the goal."
Barrett also became her high school's all-time leading scorer after registering 14 goals as a senior to bring her career total to 39. For her success during her final interscholastic season, Barrett was named First Team All-District, All-Region and All-State. The forward earned several Most Valuable Player honors, including those for her team and district. The Fauquier Times-Democrat named her its Girls Athlete of the Year in 2008, while the Washington Post recognized her with an All-Met Honorable Mention.
"Her local newspaper described her as `100 pounds of focused field-hockey intensity,' which sums her up pretty well," said Cook, adding that part of that would change once she entered the Bison weight room. "Ellie will be a fantastic forward for us. She has a ton of personality that comes out in her creative style of play."
Durkin made a name for herself in two sports as a high school student-athlete. The forward was a two-time All-County selection in field hockey and earned similar honors in ice hockey. On the field, Durkin was named First Team All-State as a junior and Second Team a year later. She also captained the squad and led the team in scoring both seasons. On the ice, she joined the school's 100 Point Club, scoring 72 goals and posting 54 assists.
"Katie is going to be a big contributor for us up front. She has an energy and competitive spirit to her that is evident from the moment she steps on the field," said Cook. "I am looking for her to make the transition quickly to the new playing surface and higher level of hockey, and I think her ice hockey background will actually help her tremendously in that transition."
Like many of her new teammates, Merrell earned First Team All-State honors as a senior and was named a member of the "Dream Team" by the Daily Democrat. The defender was twice recognized for her success by her teams, claiming the "Pertinacity" and "Fortitude" awards in her last two seasons.
"Caroline is a great athlete," said Cook. "She will develop into a strong defender for us and will be a key contributor to the program."
Siegrist garnered several honors during her high school career, including Second Team selections in the North Hill Conference and Morris County in 2007 and Third Team selections the following year. The Star Ledger selected the defender to the All-Morris Third Team as a junior, while the Daily Record recognized her as an all-star on two occasions. Siegrist twice helped her squads to Morris County and North Hill Conference titles. Her playing experience also includes three stints at the United States Field Hockey Association's (USFHA) National Futures Tournament and a pair of runs with the USFHA Futures AAU Junior Olympics. Also a track and field star, Siegrist holds her high school's javelin record and will compete on the track for the Bison in the spring.
"Tayler is going to challenge right away for a backfield starting role. She is a very polished ball distributor already and has developed into a strong tackler," said Cook. "She brings a ton of high level experience to us as a two-time Junior Olympian and a three-time competitor in the National Futures Championship."
Bucknell finished the 2008 season with an 11-8 overall record and tied for third in the Patriot League. The squad's 2009 home opener is slated for 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4 against Vermont at Graham Field.
