On Friday, Nov. 16, 2018, Pennsbury seniors Samie Hackman and Maya Geller were recognized for committing to continue their field hockey careers at the collegiate level. To view photos of the event, please visit the Photo Gallery at the following link: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/p978433807
Maya Geller – University of Pennsylvania (Field Hockey)
Major: Nursing
Final list of colleges: Penn, Columbia, Lehigh
Reasons for choosing Penn: “Since the first time I went to Penn, I knew instantly that is where I always wanted to go. It’s a beautiful campus. They have great athletic programs, and I love the coaches. Of course, academically it’s great, and I can be in Philly, which is a city that I love. I’ll also be close to my parents.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in field hockey at the collegiate level? “I have played Mystics since fifth grade, and even since middle school, I always knew I wanted to play in college. Ninth grade is when I started looking at schools and going to camps and clinics. I just always knew I was going to play in college.”
Coach Jamie Parell: “Maya was on the radar as a middle schooler. I remember running a camp, and my eyes were drawn to her. She was always so poised and remained calm, and that continued all through her senior year no matter who we were playing or who she was against 1vs1. It just has continued to progress from there. She’s always been a solid point for us and controlled the ball so well and been such a key player to our team. Maya just controls the tempo of the game really well, she ignites us when we’re in our struggle points and is very skillful as a teammate and also as an individual player, which is a very strong aspect for Maya. There’s definitely going to be a hole when she leaves.”
About Maya:
Favorite food: Ice Cream
Favorite movie: Harry Potter
Favorite music: Rihanna
Samie Hackman – La Salle University (Field Hockey)
Major: Political Science/Pre-Law
Final list of colleges: La Salle, Lehigh, Villanova, Arcadia
Reasons for choosing La Salle: “I loved the location, I loved the campus, and since it’s right in the middle of Philly, it has all these opportunities. I want to become a lawyer, and having all the Philly law firms right nearby was really cool. It’s a great school, and I loved the team and the coach.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in field hockey at the collegiate level? “I was in seventh or eighth grade – my sister played field hockey in high school and she ended up going to Villanova University to play field hockey. I always looked up to her because she’s my big sister. Seeing her play college field hockey and the love I had for the sport too made me really want to keep going.”
Coach Jamie Parell says: “Through the grapevine and through camp, it’s the same thing as Maya – Samie’s been on the radar. Her passion for hockey is through the roof all the time. It’s very evident in her play and practice – she’s very driven, and the younger players really feed off of her.
“Samie’s spirit and drive are just unbelievable. She just has that kill instinct. She will go to every ball and get every ball, and all 60 minutes of the game, her intensity never stops. She’s definitely a leader that will be missed.”
About Samie:
Favorite food: Ham
Favorite movie: Mamma Mia
Favorite music: Country
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