May 6, 2005
WASHINGTON -
American University head coach Steve Jennings announced the addition of Lauren Bacon (Hershey, Pa./Hershey), Emily Harwood (Rockville, Md./Magruder), Megan Henry (Roxbury, Conn./Shetaug Valley), Jesika Pufnock (Reading, Pa./Exeter), Erica Sheldon (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) and Katie Turner (Millersville, Md./Severna Park) to the field hockey team on Friday.
Bacon is a calm defender who shows a lot of poise in the deep defense. As a senior she captained the Hershey High School field hockey team to a Mid Penn Conference Championship, and was selected as a First Team Mid Penn Field Hockey All-Star and to the Big Eleven Field Hockey All-Star Team.
Harwood is a speedy forward who has a nose for the goal and possesses great vision as an attacker. The Rockville, Md., native, was a 2004 First Team All-State section, the 2004 All-Gazette Player of the Year and named to the All-Montgomery Journal First Team. She also has participated in the United States Futures program since 2003.
Henry, a midfielder, hails from Roxbury, Conn. and is a workhorse in the middle of the field. The former First Team All-State selection excels at distributing the ball and could have a hand in setting up many future scoring opportunities for the Eagles.
Joining Harwood at forward will be Reading, Pa. native Jesika Pufnock. Pufnock is a very skilled attacker who led Exeter in scoring in both her junior and senior seasons. She was a two-time Second Team All-State selection, a two-time All-Berks County Selection and was the 2004 Senior All-Star Game's Offensive MVP.
Sheldon is a defensive player who has shown a great presence on the field and is a strong tackler. As a senior captain on Chesapeake's team she was a First Team All-State, First Team Coaches All-County, First team Baltimore Sun and First Team Capitol selection. The Pasadena, Md., native racked up 29 goals and 29 assists in three years as a member of the varsity field hockey team.
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Rounding out the class of 2009 is defenseman Katie Turner from Millersville, Md. Turner displays an excellent work ethic and was a tremendous competitor for one of the top teams in the state, playing at Severna Park. As a senior, she was a First Team All-State selection and earned numerous other accolades including being named to the Baltimore Sun All-County First Team. The Falcons won the 3A Maryland State Championship in 2003 when Turner was a Washington Post First Team All-County selection.
"Our entire program is overwhelmingly excited for this season," said Jennings. "First and foremost, our new, state of the art, water based astroturf will allow us to practice and play on campus. For the first time in nearly a decade, we will have a true home field advantage. Our outlook is also enhanced by the tremendous progress the team made over the spring season. We are far better than we were in November and I believe that is a significant statement. An extremely talented freshman class will bring a new level of depth to our squad and we anticipate several of our new players to challenge for significant playing time immediately."
"Our goals for this year are to continue to climb among the nation's elite and to take the next step in the NCAA Tournament," said Jennings. "With the loss of only one starter from last year's elite eight team, our improvement from the spring, the new turf and an exciting freshman class, we have the potential to fulfill this aspiration. We know it will not be easy but we look forward to the challenge of building on last year's record season."
American wrapped up its most successful season in program history in 2004 with a 19-3 overall record and a second-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. AU set the program record for longest winning streak and most wins in a season, stringing together 17 straight wins and 19 overall victories. The seventh-ranked Eagles won their first NCAA Tournament game in thrilling fashion with a 2-1 win over Iowa, before losing to the second-ranked Maryland Terrapins in the second round of the tournament. Sixth-year head coach Steve Jennings was honored as the DITA/NFHCA Division I Coach of the Year.
