On Monday, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014, Central Bucks South seniors Megan Hamilton, Mackenzie Harding and Jessica Schmidt were recognized at a special news conference for signing letters of intent to field hockey at the collegiate level. To view photos of the signing, please visit the Photo Gallery.
Cardinal Camera sponsors all SOL college signings on SuburbanOneSports.com. For additional information about purchasing a commemorative keepsake of the signing, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/forms/college-signings.
“There is probably no greater satisfaction as their coach than when each of these girls sits down with a smile ear to ear, and they let you know they committed to where they wanted to go,” coach Jeff Harding said. “There is so much hard work and commitment that goes into all of this.
“There are many that talk a good game, but Megan, Mackenzie and Jess back it up. I always say ‘the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree,’ and all these girls were able to have a great relationship because they have parents who are very supportive and placed the team first, not their own. I am so proud of each of them.”
Megan Hamilton – Providence University (Field Hockey)
Final list of colleges: Providence, Columbia
Reasons for choosing Providence: “For me, it just came down to the overall feeling – all the factors coming together and just the best feeling that I got from the place. A big part of it for me was the team. I really wanted to go to a team that was very close and had the same humor as my team did. I just wanted to get as close to my CB South team as I could because I’ve loved playing with them over the years, and I just wanted to continue with that.
“The coaches at both Columbia and Providence were really easy to talk to, but coach Madl was always answering right away and was so easy to talk to on the phone. I just got a really good feeling, and I knew that she is a determined coach – even though she’s really nice, she wants to get the job done. She’s a coach but she’s also a figure to look up to. I’m really excited.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate field hockey? “To be honest, I never really thought I was going to end up playing lacrosse because I’m so short, so I guess from the beginning, I was like, ‘You know what – I should just stick with field hockey, and lacrosse can just be a fun thing.’ From the beginning, I knew, and I also liked field hockey better. I had more knowledge than I did with lacrosse.”
Coach Jeff Harding says: “When I first started working with Meg at the club and school level, I believe Meg was really focused on scoring goals and being a striker at either level of play. Meg has really evolved not only as a player technically but also as a student of the game. Both her and I have open lines of communication and she absorbs everything I throw at her. She has created an identity for herself and a style of play that is admirable. Her maturity within the game now provides her with the patience and confidence to excel at the next level. Her exposure at the club level with True North and her US Hockey experiences placed her with the best in the nation. She has worked tremendously hard to be able to play in attack or within the midfield. I love watching her play and am excited for her to play at Providence College.”
About Megan:
Favorite food: Sushi & Wawa Mac ‘n Cheese
Favorite movie: Despicable Me
Favorite music: “I really like country music in the summertime, but in the wintertime, it’s probably One Direction.”
Mackenzie Harding
Major: Undecided
Final list of colleges: Villanova, Michigan, Columbia, Penn, Boston University
Reasons for choosing Villanova: “When I visited, it was really like a home kind of feeling, and I just felt like it fit. I had a great time on my visit. I know a lot of the team already because my sister is there, and I just really felt like I fit in there.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate field hockey? “I feel like I’ve always kind of known I wanted to play in college cause I’ve been really serious about the sport for a while. My sister pursued it, and I wanted to do the same.”
Coach Jeff Harding says: “It is always challenging coaching your own daughter as every decision you make could be overanalyzed. Knowing this, I feel Mackenzie has had added pressure on her and I expected more from her being my daughter. Trying to keep that in balance, she took her game and the team success personally. Her technical skills and vision allowed her to have a strong presence and leadership in our midfield where we were looking to play through to generate our attack. Her confidence and intelligent play on ball has provided her the opportunity to play in the central midfield giving our teams the needed leadership. Her experiences at the club and US Hockey level have exposed her to the highest level of play in our country, and I am looking forward to her excelling in the Big East Conference and getting a great education with her older sister at Villanova University.”
About Mackenzie:
Favorite food: Sushi
Favorite movie: Dodgeball
Favorite music: Country
Jessica Schmidt – University of New Hampshire (Field Hockey)
Major: Kinesiology
Final list of colleges: New Hampshire, Quinnipiac
Reasons for choosing New Hampshire: “Just the whole feel of the school. I liked how all the teams were really close with each other and supported each other and just the whole family feel of the campus. The girls were all really nice to me when I visited. I just had a really good bond with them. The coaches were fun but at the same time strict and knew what they wanted to accomplish.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate field hockey? “I’ve wanted to play hockey since first grade. I used to play soccer too, but I kind of dropped that in sixth grade because that’s when I really wanted to start focusing on field hockey. In ninth grade, the reality set in that I could do this in college and that I had a chance.”
Coach Jeff Harding says: “Jess has really been focused on fine tuning her game on the more refined skill components. She possesses strength and explosiveness, which establish her presence as a solid defender and someone who controls space well. She has developed her game to stay connected with the play and be a vocal leader in the backfield. Jess internalized her role and accepted the added responsibility of being the lone defender in many situations. Her hard work and growth within the game has provided her an opportunity to play at the University of New Hampshire.”
About Jess:
Favorite food: Anything with cheese, bacon, potatoes or buffalo sauce
Favorite movie: Despicable Me
Favorite music: Country
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