On Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019, Central Bucks East seniors Elizabeth Philipp and Emma Donnelly were recognized for committing to continue their field hockey careers at the collegiate level. To view photos of the signing event, please click on the following link: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/p350171235
Elizabeth Philipp – University of California, Berkeley (Field Hockey)
Major: Undecided
Final list of colleges: Berkeley, Michigan, La Salle, William & Mary
Reasons for choosing Berkeley: “I was just looking up schools on line and deciding what area I wanted to be in and what majors I’m 
interested in. When I visited Berkeley, I loved the location, I really liked the people there, and it was the place for me.
“I’m undecided on a major right now, but I have three majors I’m interested in. I’m interested in social work – I want to do something helping people. I’m interested in criminology, and I’m also interested in fashion marketing.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in field hockey at the collegiate level? “Sophomore year I realized I wanted to go to Berkeley. In seventh grade I knew I wanted to play D-1 hockey in college, and I wanted high academics.”
Coach Meghann Spratt says: “Elizabeth was the anchor of my defense, and she was the anchor of the team pretty much leadership-wise and by example. She was probably one of the very few that gave 100 percent every single practice, every single game, every single minute without having the credit of goals, assists or anything like that. She was by far what I needed in a leader and always stepped up.
“Her speed, her aggressiveness, her tenacity – she got split under the chin and needed stitches but went back in the game. The grit you can’t find in a lot of players was what she brought to the game.”
About Elizabeth:
Favorite food: Spicy Crunchy Tuna Roll Sushi from Oishi
Favorite movie: John Wick
Favorite music: 70’s Classic Rock
Emma Donnelly – James Madison University (Field Hockey)
Major: Marketing/Advertising or Physical Therapy/Nutrition
Final list of colleges: JMU, St. Joseph’s, Syracuse, Temple, UNH
Reasons for choosing JMU: “In the end, it came down to JMU and St. Joe’s. When I visited JMU the first time, something clicked and it just 
seemed really special, but I knew I had to keep looking around. I think that was one of the first places I visited, and I just kept going back to it – I wanted to visit again and talk to the coaches. I do love the coaches and the fast tempo with how they run everything. Coach (Christy) Morgan really focuses on keeping everything moving, and everything is fast paced, not just the speed of the game but practices and everything.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in field hockey at the collegiate level? “My mom played in college and my older sister (Riley Donnelly) is one of my really big role models, and I saw she went really far in hockey. I also played travel soccer for a while, so field hockey and soccer were my two main things. I dropped soccer so I could do more things with hockey. It went well – I really liked my teammates and I stuck with it.”
Coach Meghann Spratt says: “Emma was a four-year starter, and to be a four-year starter is an accomplishment in itself, and then to achieve the 100 points – it was just chipping away. Year after year, she always contributed something that added up in the end and made her a very solid, strong player. Her speed and the way she can cover ground on the field was one of her biggest attributes as well as her stick work. When she reached 100 points, she definitely was deserving of being able to accomplish that over the four years. She’s very humble and she’s under the radar, but she constantly gets the job done, which is really nice.”
About Emma:
Favorite food: Ice Cream
Favorite TV show: Modern Family or Gossip Girl
Favorite music: Country on weekends and Hip Hop/Rap on game days
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