On Friday, Feb. 3, 2012, Hatboro-Horsham senior Madeline Wagenfeld was recognized at a special news conference for signing a letter of intent to play field hockey at St. Joseph’s University.
Maddie Wagenfeld – St. Joseph’s University (Field Hockey)
Major: Pre-Veterinary Medicine
Final list of colleges: St. Joe’s, UMass, UConn, New Hampshire, Hofstra
Reasons for choosing St. Joe’s: “Just the family feeling but also it also has that competitive edge. I didn’t want too much competitiveness and not have a college life, but just having the combination of both at St. Joe’s. They have a few days a week where they have 6 a.m. practices for the athletes that are science majors so they can get their labs done. At other schools, it’s a challenge being a pre-vet major and playing Division One sports. I wanted both, and I found the best fit for it at St. Joe’s.”
What was the progression that led you to playing at the collegiate level? “I played soccer for a very long time, but I had an injury in soccer, and I strayed away from it while I recovered from the injury. A gym teacher from Keith Valley, Marie Schmucker, saw my talent in a gym class and told me to try out for field hockey. I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t understand the game, I didn’t know the rules, and then she set up a tryout with Jeff (Harding). From there, Jeff set me up with Steve Wagner, and from then on, it was uphill.
“In my sophomore year, they said, ‘You need to e-mail college coaches.’ My junior year was e-mails, college visits, Junior Days. I committed to St. Joe’s at the end of my junior year. It was overwhelming, but it was exciting.”
Coach Laura Swezey says: “Madeline has done a wonderful job over these past four years. She’s very tenacious in goal, and she’s agile. She has a great work ethic and she helped work with the younger kids. She took them under her wing, and she does a good job of working with them. It’s tough as a coach to have all those kids and to just work with the goalies. She did that for us, and she’s given back to the program, which is an added plus. She worked hard herself, but she also was helping the underclassmen.”
Goalie coach Steve Wagner says: “I run a business that specifically works with field hockey goalkeepers. I have been working with Maddie since she was in eighth grade, and now we’re in year five. It’s a unique situation for me, and seeing her really push hard and not settle and take herself to the next level – being a part of that was very special for me. I appreciate all the hard work she has put into it.”
About Maddie:
Favorite food: Pasta
Favorite movie: Point Break
Favorite music: “I enjoy a variety of music. I enjoy country – Kenny Chesney and the Zach Brown Band. I also like John Mayer and Jack Johnson. If I’m working out, it’s Kid Cudi or Mac Miller, so it’s really based on what I’m doing when I’m listening to the music.”
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