Bucknell University Athletics
Neilson Named to Australia's Junior World Cup Team
10/19/2023 3:45:00 PM | Field Hockey
LEWISBURG, Pa.- Bucknell junior forward Lily Neilson was named to Australia's Junior World Cup Team on Wednesday. Field hockey has a long and proud history in Australia, and the national teams there have been some of the country's most successful athletic squads on the international stage. The Junior World Cup Team, the Jillaroos, won silver medals in 1993 and 1997. Â
Full Release
The Women's Field Hockey Junior World Cup, hosted by Chile, will run from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10, with 16 teams contending for the crown. Australia shares a group with Chile, Netherlands, and South Africa. Ironically, Neilson has ties with the European country as her teammate, Nicky Punt, is from the Netherlands. Australia will open group play against the defending champions the Netherlands team. The games will be streamed on Watch.Hockey, which is available on the FIH (International Field Hockey) website.Â
"I am so excited and proud of Lily for being selected to compete at the Junior World Cup," said head coach Kelsey Kolojejchick. "It is such an honor to represent your country and to be playing at the highest stage for her age group is a wonderful achievement. She has worked extremely hard all year and deserves to be selected for this amazing opportunity. It is also beyond impressive that she has been able to accomplish this while being a student-athlete at Bucknell. To manage her academics, while being in her fall season and also traveling to complete her tryouts for her U21 team is a challenging task but she proved she is capable of doing anything she sets her mind to. All her hard work is paying off and we can't wait to watch her compete in Chile in December."
Neilson endured rigorous training and an evaluation process, which saw multiple cuts and necessitated the forward to return to the Land Down Under during the 2023 season for one last round of qualification. Her determination and success led to the Australian native being named to the 18-woman squad.Â
"Playing for my country is a dream come true," said Neilson. "As cliche as it sounds, this has been something I have been working towards for a few years now and have sacrificed so much for. Being able to put on the green and gold is unimaginable; I am so excited to be playing for my country on the world's stage against the best of the best."
The forward has shined in Bucknell garb, collecting 37 career goals to rank her third in Bucknell history. The 37 tallies are the most by a Bison player in the modern era. She currently leads the team and the Patriot League with eight goals in 2023. Neilson was named PL Preseason Player of the Year for the second season in a row and looks to win PL Player of the Year in back-in-back campaigns.Â
Neilson and the Bison seek to remain in Patriot League Tournament contention with a win in the White Out game against rival Lehigh on Oct. 20. The start time is 7 p.m.
Full Release
The Women's Field Hockey Junior World Cup, hosted by Chile, will run from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10, with 16 teams contending for the crown. Australia shares a group with Chile, Netherlands, and South Africa. Ironically, Neilson has ties with the European country as her teammate, Nicky Punt, is from the Netherlands. Australia will open group play against the defending champions the Netherlands team. The games will be streamed on Watch.Hockey, which is available on the FIH (International Field Hockey) website.Â
"I am so excited and proud of Lily for being selected to compete at the Junior World Cup," said head coach Kelsey Kolojejchick. "It is such an honor to represent your country and to be playing at the highest stage for her age group is a wonderful achievement. She has worked extremely hard all year and deserves to be selected for this amazing opportunity. It is also beyond impressive that she has been able to accomplish this while being a student-athlete at Bucknell. To manage her academics, while being in her fall season and also traveling to complete her tryouts for her U21 team is a challenging task but she proved she is capable of doing anything she sets her mind to. All her hard work is paying off and we can't wait to watch her compete in Chile in December."
Neilson endured rigorous training and an evaluation process, which saw multiple cuts and necessitated the forward to return to the Land Down Under during the 2023 season for one last round of qualification. Her determination and success led to the Australian native being named to the 18-woman squad.Â
"Playing for my country is a dream come true," said Neilson. "As cliche as it sounds, this has been something I have been working towards for a few years now and have sacrificed so much for. Being able to put on the green and gold is unimaginable; I am so excited to be playing for my country on the world's stage against the best of the best."
The forward has shined in Bucknell garb, collecting 37 career goals to rank her third in Bucknell history. The 37 tallies are the most by a Bison player in the modern era. She currently leads the team and the Patriot League with eight goals in 2023. Neilson was named PL Preseason Player of the Year for the second season in a row and looks to win PL Player of the Year in back-in-back campaigns.Â
Neilson and the Bison seek to remain in Patriot League Tournament contention with a win in the White Out game against rival Lehigh on Oct. 20. The start time is 7 p.m.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Field Hockey
M
/ Field HockeyBucknell Men's Basketball Post Game: Patriot League Tournament 1st Round vs Navy
Wednesday, March 04
In The Herd: Patriot League Opening Round Game Preview And Achile Spadone Feature
Monday, March 02
In The Herd: EIWA Championships Preview And Dillon Bechtold Feature
Monday, March 02
ECAC OPEN SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS (3/01/26 - Sunday Finals Session)
Monday, March 02