On Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, North Penn seniors Laura Albert & Rhyan Poole were recognized for committing to compete in field hockey at the collegiate level.
Laura Albert – Bloomsburg University (Field Hockey)
Major: Nursing
Final list of colleges: Bloomsburg, Lehigh
Reasons for choosing Bloomsburg: “I also was considering other competitive PSAC schools and other Division 3 schools, but I ultimately chose Bloomsburg because of their nursing program. It is a really advanced
program and has a high passing rate on the nursing exam. Also, the competitive hockey program and the conference they play in is something that really spoke to me because I will have a chance to win a national championship when I’m there.”
Coach Shannon McCracken says: “I’ve been coaching at North Penn for 13 years, and Laura is one of the top kids to come through the program just because of her work ethic, her play. She has excellent stick skills. She really understands the game well – her hockey IQ is really high, and she’s a leader on and off the field with her teammates. She made an impact in every game we played at the defensive center mid position. She had to be on the attack and get the ball to the attack. She had to make smart passes to transition the ball, and then she was back on defense. She played such an important role on our offensive corner team, our defensive corner team. She took our penalty strokes. She just was our top kid, and what was great about her is that she rises to the occasion. She seems to thrive in competition and pressure rather than backing away or getting intimidated.
“I think Bloomsburg is going to be a great fit for her because I think she’s going to go and make an impact right away. The PSAC is super competitive, and there’s great hockey in the PSAC, so I’m really excited for her to play there.”
Rhyan Poole – Widener University (Field Hockey)
Major: Early Childhood Education
Final list of colleges: Widener, Ursinus, Gwynedd Mercy, Franklin & Marshall
Reasons for choosing Widener: “I ultimately chose Widener because of the way they support their students in their education program.”
Coach Shannon McCracken says: “Rhyan is a silent and less vocal player, but what’s important about Rhyan is you don’t realize how many things she does on and off the field that make an impact. Rhyan takes care of the little things. She’s a role model to her teammates. When you need someone to work hard, Rhyan works hard. She just does a lot of things on the team because Rhyan’s a really good teammate – just encourages and supports her teammates, makes sure everyone is included. Rhyan really understands the game well. I’ve coached with Rhyan – she does a lot of youth camps in the area and coaches a lot of youth. She’s fantastic with little kids and really understands the game and is great at teaching it.”
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