On Friday, Nov. 15, 2019, Neshaminy senior captains Brooke Cordisco, Jamie Pennington, Peyton Ritchey & Maddie Tiemann were recognized for signing letters of intent to play collegiate field hockey. (Photos provided courtesy of Neshaminy field hockey.)
Brooke Cordisco - York College of Pennsylvania (Field Hockey)
Major: Sports Management/Marketing
Final list of colleges: York, Widener, Millersville, Albright, Misericordia
Reasons for choosing York: “The reason I chose York College is because it is a great school that allows me to play field hockey at a competitive level while still getting a great education. I love the size of the school because it is not too big and not too small!”
What was the progression that led you to playing field hockey at the collegiate level? “I started thinking about playing field hockey in college at the end of ninth grade. I started going to clinics at schools all over and narrowing it down by the look of the school and if I can see myself going there and playing field hockey. I soon narrowed it down to two schools by the end of junior year, and I am happy with my decision in attending York College for my academic and athletic career.”
Coach Jamie Pinto says: “Brooke totally stepped up this year. Because of the type of player Brooke is, she’s very versatile. We knew we needed her on the field. At the beginning of the year, we didn’t know where she would best help us. She would help us anywhere but where would she help the team the most. We had her at forward, we put her at left mid and then we put her at center defensive mid behind Jamie Pennington. Those two really hit it off from there, and they really worked so well together. That was the perfect fit for Brooke. She’s defensive minded, and I think she probably feels a little more comfortable playing defense, so she could help out and lead back there. This year, she would step up, play off Jamie and get shots off corners, she would get shots from the top of the circle. When we found that spot for her, Brooke was a rock star. She really worked hard this year, and without her in her defensive spot, I don’t really think we would really have been as successful as we were.”
About Brooke:
Favorite food: Buffalo Chicken Dip
Favorite TV show: Criminal Minds
Favorite music: R&B and Pop
Jamie Pennington - Villanova University (Field Hockey)
Major: Finance
Final list of colleges: Villanova, Lafayette, Drexel
Reasons for choosing Villanova: “I chose Villanova for its tremendous academic and athletic reputation, as well as its great networking opportunities. The campus is beautiful and I’ve always felt right at home.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in field hockey at the collegiate level? “I started thinking about college at the end of eighth grade, and began contacting college coaches at the start of freshman year.”
Coach Jamie Pinto says: “Jamie is going to Villanova, and I think that’s a great fit for her with her work ethic, her skill level and her leadership. As a freshman, I think she’ll be able to step in and hopefully help out their team right away. For the past four years, even her freshman year, she was a huge part of the team with her skills. She is a strong leader on the field and off the field. When she turns it on, even some days during practice, the things that she pulls out and the things that she could do, I don’t even know where she learned how to do them. The girls on our team and other teams knew that she was such a skilled and composed player. You always had to know where she was on the field. She’d be back on defense making great defensive plays, she’d be up in the circle getting great shots off from the top, distributing the ball. She’s just all over the field, and she’s just a playmaker, no matter what position she was playing throughout the years, and she was just a great leader.”
About Jamie:
Food: Steak
Favorite movie: The Parent Trap
Favorite artist: One Direction
Peyton Ritchey – Appalachian State University (Field Hockey)
Major: Interior Design
Final list of colleges: Appalachian State University, Iowa, Boston University, Rider, American University
Reasons for choosing Appalachian State: “Freshman year I went to a clinic at Appalachian State and felt comfortable from the moment I stepped on campus. The school and the town of Boone are beautiful and the athletic facilities are top of the line. After getting to know Coach Dawson and the players through the clinics and recruiting process, I knew it was the place for me.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in field hockey at the collegiate level? “In middle school, I was playing a few other sports besides field hockey, including AAU basketball. I decided to focus on field hockey year round when I got to high school. As a freshman I played really well at Shooting Stars in Richmond, Va. I began to receive interest following the tournament. I then took unofficial visits, went to their clinics and met with the coaches of the programs that showed interest. After going through the process, I realized that Appalachian State was the place for me, and I committed in August, before my junior year.”
Coach Jamie Pinto says: “Peyton’s speed is one of the greatest assets that she’s had for the last four years. With that, her skills really improved, so her junior and senior years, she became such a huge scoring threat because not only did she have the speed, but she had the skills and ability to get great shots off. She’s led the forward line and even as a freshman she was a big part as well. We’re going to miss her. She’s been up on that forward line for four years creating speed, and the other teams needed to be aware of where she was. It gave other players and gave us other opportunities to catch teams off guard because they were always worried about Peyton. That’s the type of player she was though. They always needed to know where Peyton was because with her speed and skill she could be on a breakaway at any moment. She used to play right forward, and we moved her to the center, but she can go all over the field with her skill. Peyton driving to the end line was something we always worked on and then taking a shot if she had it or finding the girl at the stroke or crossing it. Along with being the leading scorer with 21 goals, she also had the most assists (16) because of her speed and carrying the ball down the right side of the field and finding the open players.”
About Peyton:
Favorite food: Mac and Cheese
Favorite TV show: Say Yes to the Dress
Favorite artist: PnB
Maddie Tiemann – University of New Haven (Field Hockey)
Major: Forensic Science
Final list of colleges: The University of New Haven
Reasons for selecting the University New Haven: “From the moment I stepped on campus for the first time, I knew that the University of New Haven was for me. The campus is absolutely beautiful, the forensics program is one of the best in the country, and both the team and coaches were extremely welcoming.”
What was the progression that led you to playing field hockey at the collegiate level? “The first time that I stepped into the goal cage freshman year, I knew that the goalie position was truly for me. Throughout the seasons, I was extremely passionate about playing and I realized that I wanted to play in college as well. I was very lucky to find a college with a reputable forensic science program and a field hockey team that I’m excited to be a part of.”
Coach Jamie Pinto says: “This is only Maddie’s fourth year of playing goalie. Coming in her freshman year when we did a summer league team, we needed goalies, and Maddie volunteered to play goalie. She just worked extremely hard since that first day of the summer league to where she is now. From there, she did Mystx, she did camps, and she worked her way up to be a starting goalie and now has an opportunity to play in college. She’s worked really hard to get to where she is right now. She’s very strong. She’s a smart goalie, and she can take charge when she needs to. She’s tough on herself, which I think makes her a good goalie. She wants to improve, she wants to be there for the team. She was definitely a leader in the back, especially this year helping out. We had some new faces back there, and she took control.”
About Maddie:
Favorite food: Italian Hoagies
Favorite movie: 50 First Dates
Favorite music: Pop Music
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