Suburban One League players once again excelled at the national level.
This time it was in the U19 Division at the National Indoor Tournament at the Greater Richmond Convention Center March 4-6. The tournament is comprised of the nation’s top club programs that compete through qualifiers assigned by the United States Field Hockey Association.
The qualifying format at the National Indoor Tournament is set up so qualifying champions play each other in any of the top two pools. Teams that place lower at each qualifier are aligned alphabetically to allow for appropriate competition.
North Penn senior Elizabeth Fedele, who will be taking her talents to the University of North Carolina, was part of an all-star squad that included players from several states along the East Coast. Her Xcalibur Justice team rolled to a 7-0 record in Pool B, outscoring its opponents 42-8.
True North United (formerly Mystx Sting and Mystx Fierce) – in its first year as a U19 team – won its qualifier and placed second to Xcalibur Justice, compiling an impressive 5-1-1 record. Included on True North United’s roster were five SOL standouts.
Wissahickon junior Lauren Becker, Hatboro-Horsham junior Madeline Wagenfield as well as Central Bucks South senior Madison Harding, junior Kayla Kenney and freshman Mackenzie Harding provided the nucleus of the True North United squad.
Madison Harding was a newcomer to the team.
“I was on an indoor team last year, and most of the girls who were on the team graduated,” Harding said. “Since my team graduated, I just jumped onto their team.
“They already had chemistry, but I knew Kayla, I knew my sister, and I knew Lauren Becker. They all are really nice girls, and I fit in. It wasn’t hard.
The move to a club team that was coached by Harding’s father, Jeff Harding, was an easy transition.
“Playing-wise my dad coached both my team and my sister’s team the same way, so that wasn’t hard for me either,” Madison said.
It was the fifth year in a row Harding’s team won its qualifier and advanced to nationals.
“We have a bunch of talented girls,” she said. “It was my last year, and I wanted to end it on a good note, and I did.
“I won’t play indoor ever again.”
It also marked the final game Harding will be coached by her father.
“I have done it my whole life,” she said.
As endings go, this was a good one for Harding, who has accepted a scholarship to play field hockey at Villanova University next year.
The Souderton Strikers also earned a spot in the tournament by finishing third at a qualifier held in Collegeville. The team - coached by Courtney Hughes and Nicole Bauer - finished fourth in the Pool D, which represented the squad's highest finish in three years.
SOL players on the squad were Souderton's Taylor Yoder, Rachel Valentine, Courtney Bradshaw, Jen Bergey, Natalie Guerreiro and Bekah Hershey. Jenna Anderson from Pennridge also was a member ofo the team.
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