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Head Coach Rolf van de Kerkhof Introduces 2008 Field Hockey Recruiting Class
Feb. 14, 2008
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State field hockey program has received signed National Letters of Intent from seven players to join the team in the 2008 season. The freshman cast will join an already stellar field hockey group, as they team up with juniors Jeamie Deacon and Floor Rijpma, who earned All-America honors in 2007, and the 2007 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jantine Steinmetz. The Spartans finished with a 16-6 record last season, returning to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2004. Below is a look at each of the signees: COREY BLOCK
HIGH SCHOOL & PERSONAL DATA: Was named varsity MVP and captain her sophomore through senior years ... Helped her team to a Division III Championship in 2006 ... Named to the high school all-state team in 2006 and 2007 ... Competed in the National Futures Tournament in 2003-2007 and was a member of the Junior Olympic team in 2006 ... Was named to the high-honor roll in all four years of high school ... Daughter of Roxy Block and Leslie Fry.
"I wanted to play Big Ten field hockey, and MSU offered the perfect opportunity," said Block. "The coaching staff is amazing here, and when I visited, I just fell in love with the campus, the program and the school. I knew it was where I wanted to be."
"We are excited to to welcome a very talented in-state player to our program," said head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof. "Corey is very eager to develop and improve. It will be just a matter of time before she will be ready to contribute to our program as a player."
CHELSY COIL HIGH SCHOOL & PERSONAL DATA: Named MVP and captain her junior and senior years ... Earned first-team All-ISL, second-team All-MET, first-team all-state and Loudon Player of the Year in her junior season ... Named first-team All-ISL, first-team All-MET, first-team all-state and Loudon Player of the Year her senior season ... Daughter of Bruce and Nan Coil.
"I'm happy to be at Michigan State," said Coil. "I really wanted to go to big school with a great athletic program, and MSU had both to offer."
"Chelsey is a very strong minded and positive person," said van de Kerkhof. "I know that she will do what it takes to become an impact player on and off the field at Michigan State."
BRAE DOWLING
HIGH SCHOOL & PERSONAL DATA: Totaled 90 points on 33 goals and 24 assists in 2007 to lead the Lehigh Valley Conference ... Participated in three Pennsylvania state championships in four years, including a semi-finalist appearance in 2006 ... Earned all-state honors in 2006 and 2007 ... Named to the All-Lehigh Valley Conference All-Star Team in 2007, and was a first-team Lehigh County Division selection in 2006 and 2007 ... The Morning Call all-area first-team selection in senior year and honorable mention in junior season ... Played at the same high school as Spartan forward Amanda Huck and midfielder Angie Lucik ... Daughter of Paul and Susan Dowling.
"Michigan State has everything that I could have possibly wanted in terms of academics," said Dowling. "Plus, I loved the winning attitude of the coaches and the players in this field hockey program."
"Brae is a player who can easily score goals, and can just as easily put someone else in position to score," said van de Kerkhof. "We graduated two forwards last season, in Becky Manning and Kathryn Elenz-Martin, so recruiting Brae was a must for our program. I'm very excited to add Brae to the team as another high-caliber goal-scoring player."
CHRISTIE JONES
HIGH SCHOOL & PERSONAL DATA: Member of the X caliber field hockey club ... First-team all-area ... Finished with the most assists on her high school team ... Named to high school academic honor roll ... Daughter of Thomas and Sue Paden.
"Academically, Michigan State has everything that I am looking for to succeed," said Jones. "Athletically, MSU had by far the best coaching staff that I talked to throughout the recruiting process, and I think they'll really mold me into the best athlete that I can be. Plus, the Big Ten is so competitive and that is exactly where I want to be."
"Christie is a player that really operates under the radar," said van de Kerkhof. "Her play is not fancy but extremely effective, and I think that will allow her to surprise others. She does a lot of things well. That makes her a joy to coach and a pleasure to have on our Spartan team."
CHANTAE MILLER
HIGH SCHOOL & PERSONAL DATA: Three-time high school All-American ... Led team to the New York Championship her senior season with a 23-0 record ... National record holder for career assists (117) and most consecutive games with an assist (17) ... Only player in U.S. high school field hockey history to score more than 100 goals and 100 assists ... Amassed 148 goals and 135 assists in six-year varsity career ... Three-year Futures Elite selection ... Named to the USA Field Hockey Futures Elite 19-Under Tour in Holland ... Competed at the Olympic Development Select Training Camp ... Named to the USA-Canada Field Hockey Challenge Cup National Team ... Brother Zach is team managaer for the Spartan field hockey program ... Daughter of Neal and Marcella Miller.
"I chose Michigan State because it was the best fit for me," said Miller. "When I visited MSU, I was really comfortable on campus and I could really see myself in this environment. The coaching staff was a major reason in my decision to come here. I had the opportunity to play for Coach van de Kerkhof through the U.S. Futures proram and really appreciated his coaching style and technique. I really saw myself improving as a player here with the coach's dedication, and envisioned a team winning the big championships. I was also very attracted to the educational help provided to student-athletes here. It was nice to see that education was such a huge priority to the school."
"Chantae is one of the greatest high school players that I have ever seen," said van de Kerkhof. "Even though she's earned All-America honors three times, and scored over 100 goals and recorded 100 assists, she still remains a true and noble team player. Chantae has bigger dreams than to just play field hockey in high school and college, she wants to represent the USA in a World Cup or Olympic Games setting. I'm excited not only to be her coach for years to come, but to help her develop herself as a player, and help her create an opportunity to live her dream one day."
KELLY RODERICK HIGH SCHOOL & PERSONAL DATA: Four-year varsity letterwinner ... Named captain of her field hockey team in 2007 and named team MVP ... Earned All-Central Ohio first-team honors in 2006 and 2007 and All-Ohio accolades in 2007 ... First on the team in goals and assists ... Four-year Futures participant, and selected to play in the 16-Under National Futures Championship in 2005, and the 19-Under National Futures Championship in 2006 ... Selected to play in the National Field Hockey Festival in 2005, 2006 and 2007 ... Daughter of Chris and Karen Roderick.
"I was drawn to Michigan State by the quality of the field hockey coaches and how comfortable I felt around them," said Roderick. "After visiting here, it's the only place where I could see myself becoming a part of a not just a really great field hockey program, but part of a family. I was also very impressed with the academic support provided by the school, and the competitiveness of the team. I had great chemistry with the girls on the team, and I think that's important too."
"Kelly brings with her not only incredible hockey tools, but also the ability to adjust and to work together with new teammates," said van de Kerkhof. "I knew Kelly was dedicated when I found her basement equipped with a small hockey field and cage. She has the experience of playing for two different high school teams, so I believe she will be able to help her incoming classmates with the process of starting over and entering a new field hockey chapter in their lives."
HOLLY SHERMAN HIGH SCHOOL & PERSONAL DATA: Named team captain, and led her team to the 2007 High School AAA BC Championship and undefeated season at 27-0 ... Named Athlete of the Year her freshman year, and Most Inspirational Athlete her sophomore year ... Selected to the 2007 BC Senior Team ... Finished third at the Canadian Senior Nationals ... Selected to the North West High Performance Regional Team since 2004.
"I'm really happy to be a part of the Spartan family because of the great student-athlete support, the coaches, and the academic opportunities at Michigan State," said Sherman.
"With the departures of Amy Schneider and Charlotte van der Laag, I knew the program was in need of a high-caliber player that would help us on the defensive side from the get-go," said van de Kerkhof. "Holly is a player that has tons of experience playing the backfield, due to the many opportunities that she had on the youth and adults teams that she played on back in Vancouver."
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