Feb. 17, 2009

EASTON, Pa. - Head coach Andrew Griffiths is pleased to announce that five new student-athletes will join the 2009 Lafayette field hockey team. The class of 2013 is infused with local talent as four of the five members hail from Pennsylvania.

"We are very pleased to welcome these five talented student-athletes to the Lafayette field hockey team and our quest to become Patriot League Champions," Griffiths said. "Each of these athletes has worked hard to get to this point and has the potential to contribute significantly to our team's success.

"There is a combination of skill, speed and strength in this group - the class will add depth to our team and strengthen each line on the field," he said. "Academically, this class is also outstanding, and will add to our program's tradition of excellence in the classroom and on the field."

Deanna DiCroce

Deanna DiCroce (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West)
A four-year letter winner at Central Bucks West and a captain her freshman season, DiCroce saw time as a defender, midfielder and forward. She was awarded first team all-league and second-team All-State accolades in her senior year after scoring a team-high 14 goals and tallying six assists. She was a three-time offensive MVP, earned defensive MVP honors her sophomore season and was named second team all-league her junior year. In addition to her work on the field, she was a member of the National Society of High School Scholars, part of the Distinguished Honor Roll and earned Presidential Academic Honors. She plans to major in Psychology at Lafayette.

Coach Griffiths on DiCroce: "Deanna is a dynamic attacker with a goalscorer's instinct. She is physically strong, and her competitive instincts help her to influence the play both on team attack and team defense."

Emily Valeo

Emily Valeo (Norristown, Pa./Gwynedd Mercy Academy)
A silver medalist as a member of the National Women's Indoor Field Hockey team for the 2008 Pan-Am Games, Valeo excelled as a four-year starter in both field hockey and lacrosse for Gwynedd Mercy. As a midfielder/defender in field hockey, she earned a spot on the Catholic Academy League All Star team twice and was a member of the All-State Team her junior season. A captain the following year, she was named MVP and to the Philadelphia Inquirer's All-Southeastern Pennsylvania Team.

Valeo was just as busy in the classroom. She earned honor roll status all four years and served a member of the National Honor Society in her junior and season years. She was elected as Student Council President as a freshman and was a class representative the following two years. She was also president of her school's television program, GMA TV, from 2007-09. She intends to major in Government and Law.

Coach Griffiths on Valeo: "Emily has benefited greatly from her experience playing and training with the USA National Indoor Team during the past year. She is effective on the back and midfield lines, and has the ability to eliminate and pass well to both sides of the field."

Jaci White

Jaci White (Lincoln University, Pa./Saint Mark's - Wilmington, Del.)
White earned All-State accolades during each of the four years she lettered as a defender and midfielder at Saint Mark's. She served as captain her junior and senior seasons. White also ran the 200m and 400m as a three-year track and field letterwinner. She was named all-conference in track in 2005.

White was a member of the National Honor Society and Blue-Gold club. She plans to major in Biology.

Coach Griffiths on White: "Jaci has deceptive speed with the ball. She is a versatile player who can play a number of positions on the field, and she can generate dangerous attacking play with her quick turn of speed combined with good vision and passing skills."

Maria Machalick

Maria Machalick (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood)
Machalick was a midfielder for Crestwood's field hockey and soccer teams. She led the field hockey team as a captain her senior year and capped three seasons of field hockey with an All-State Honorable Mention nod. During her four years as a soccer player, she earned All-State Second Team status twice and was a two-time team MVP.

To say Machalick shone in the classroom is an understatement. After earning Principal's Honor Roll accolades all four years and a spot on the PIAA All-State All-Academic team in 2008, she emerged as the school's valedictorian. She was also a member of the Spanish, Chemistry and Biology clubs, the National Honor Society (10th-12th grades) and the Spanish National Honor Society. To top it off, she served as the Student Government treasurer her junior year. Machalick will major in Biology.

Coach Griffiths on Machalick: "Maria is a sharp, quick player with good ball-handling skills. She can turn very quickly both in possession and without the ball - these skills make her effective on both the midfield and forward lines."

Mara Kish

Mara Kish (Williamsburg, Va./Hampton Roads Academy)
Kish comes to College Hill as the only non-Pennsylvania native recruit. She adds depth at goalkeeper after lettering three years and earning first-team all-conference honors at Hampton Roads Academy in 2008-09. In her junior season she snagged 349 saves and boasted an 82 percent save rate. She was selected to the Second Team Daily Press All Stars and served as team captain her final year.

An avid singer, she founded an a cappella group and was a three-year member of the Hampton Roads Academy Chorus. In addition, she was a member of the Junior Engineering Technical Society her junior and senior years. She earned the University of Rochester George Eastman Young Leaders Award in 2008, was a member of the honor roll all four years and served as freshman class president. Kish plans to study Environmental Engineering.

Coach Griffiths on Kish: "Mara is a smart goalkeeper with athleticism and a focused and disciplined attitude. She has the ability to make key saves but will also learn to be a directing influence in the backfield."

These five additions join the Leopards as Lafayette heads into 2009 coming off its winningest season in five years (12-7). The team, which ranked 12th in the nation for shutout victories, also boasted six All-Patriot League selections and placed a league-high 17 members on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.