On Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, Upper Dublin senior Emily Hitchings was recognized at a special news conference for signing a letter of intent to play field hockey at Bucknell University.
Emily Hitchings – Bucknell University (Field Hockey)
Major: Elementary Education
Final list of colleges: Bucknell, Lafayette, Ursinus
Reasons for choosing Bucknell: “I wanted a high level of play, but I wanted academics to come first, so it was a good choice in the Patriot League. The coach and the team are what sold me on it. Also, a lot of my family went to Bucknell, so I’m comfortable there.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate field hockey? “I always knew I wanted to, but I also play lacrosse, so my freshman year I was deciding which sport I wanted to play in college. Just my high school experience, I decided on hockey. My mom played and my sister played, so I kind of knew I wanted to play hockey in college.
“I started playing indoor, which gets you more prepared, and that’s how colleges see you. I decided last April, and I committed then. It took a lot of time and was nerveracking, but afterwards, it’s such a relief.”
Coach Heather Boyer says: “As a young player, her positioning was always very good. She was always in the right place at the right time, so the older veteran players would pass to her, and she would finish the play. After those girls graduated, she took her game to the next level and created those offensive opportunities herself, and she really excelled at doing that, which made her stand out. She was our leading scorer and is the second all-time scorer at Upper Dublin. She definitely has a nose for the ball. You can put her anywhere on the field, and she can compete and play well because she’s very knowledgeable about the game. Because she’s so offensive-minded, she understands how the defense plays, so she could play defense if necessary, but she’s naturally talented as an offensive player. She’s got some tools you can’t necessarily teach. She’s fast – you can work on it, but you can’t teach it.
“She was a team captain this year and also received first team all-state as well as first team all-league. She’s a great student. I had her in class. A lot of the traits you see on the athletic field, you see academically from Emily too. She’s a very hard worker, she’s very motivated and committed, and she’s very coachable, which is one of the top things coaches look for these days.”
About Emily:
Favorite food: Macaroni and cheese
Favorite movies: Big Daddy & Finding Nemo
Favorite music: Country
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