STANFORD, Calif. – Head coach Roz Ellis announced the signings of four student-athletes on Wednesday, with the class set to join the Cardinal for the 2025 campaign.
Stanford’s incoming class includes Noa Armelin (Weybridge, England), Natalie Hoppe (Hannover, Germany), Summer Knight-Thompson (Sevenoaks, England) and Tyla Ozgen (Westport, CT).
"We are really pleased with our 2025 incoming class,” said Ellis, who recently completed her fourth season. “They were selected carefully for specific assets and we can’t wait to get them to The Farm and build our 2025 campaign.”
Noa Armelin • Weybridge, England • Wellington College • Surbiton Hockey Club • Defender
Quick Profile: U18 and U16 England Hockey Club national champions … U16 Player of season (club) … member of England Performance pathway and captained 2021 England Hockey Futures Cup … recipient of Hockey Colours Award (2023-24) … member of team that placed third at England Hockey National school finals (2022-23) … member of team that finished second at UK indoor club finals and placed fifth at England Indoor Hockey Nationals (2023).
Off the Turf: Member of geography society and women in sports society at school … involved with the ‘Welly Leaders’ Global Citizenship group at school, where she organized a charity event for The Stroke Association … recipient of the Physics Prize (only one awarded per year group) … volunteered at an animal shelter.
Why Stanford?: "I was drawn to Stanford because of the exceptional combination of both academic rigor and athletic excellence, which is truly unmatched. I feel the warmth and energy of the campus is an environment in which I will truly thrive holistically. I am greatly looking forward to joining the vibrant, tight-knit community of passionate, curious and supportive individuals, which I have no doubt will inspire me to aim higher in every aspect of my life.”
Coach Ellis says: "Noa is an outstanding defender who reads the game very well. She has a keen eye for manipulating space on attack and her defensive shaping in transition will be a huge asset to our team.”
Natalie Hoppe • Hannover, Germany • Kaiser Wilhem-und Ratsgymnasium • Bremer HC • Midfielder
Quick Profile: Current member of German U21 National Team … gold medalist with German National Team at U18 European Championships (2023) … U18 German Champion (2022-23) … U19 EuroHockey Club Trophy winner (2023) … U16 German championship Final Four All-Star team (2021-22) and U18 (2022-23) … as a senior, 1st Bundesliga outdoor and indoor while serving as team captain.
Off the Turf: Coach of youth hockey team … official ski instructor … competes for a club in another city, requiring a 1.5-hour journey each way for every practice and game … everyone in her family loves to sail.
Why Stanford?: "The vision Roz has for the future of the field hockey program is incredibly inspiring. From the start, I felt it was the right fit and knew I wanted to help bring it to life. Beyond that, having the opportunity to study at one of the world’s top universities was always a dream of mine and something I really couldn’t pass up. Lastly, the moment I stepped onto the Stanford campus, I truly fell in love with it. The beautiful grounds, with its world-class athletic facilities, talented students and special atmosphere, left a lasting impression.”
Coach Ellis says: "Natalie is a highly technical player with an impressive array of distribution skills. She will be very versatile in our midfield, allowing us to change our structure within a game.”
Summer Knight-Thompson • Sevenoaks, England • Sevenoaks School • East Grinstead Women’s 1st Team • Forward
Quick Profile: Member of U16 and U18 Girls England National team (2022-24) … team captain of U16 Girls England National team (2023) … has won and captained 10 national championships during her junior hockey career … member of indoor Super Six’s (premiership) championship team with East Grinstead W1’s (2024), aiming to qualify for European Championships in Portugal in Feb. 2025 … recipient of ‘Pursuit of Excellence’ and ‘Support and Challenge’ awards with England National programme (2023) … Sevenoaks School Senior Sports Person of the Year (2024).
Off the Turf: Coaches aspiring young players at a local primary school twice weekly, helping funnel their passion and enthusiasm for hockey into learning new skills and tactics … enjoys watching them grown in confidence and guiding them to unlock what I like to call their ‘super-strengths’ within their abilities that make them unique on the pitch … initiated two charitable events, raising money for ‘Education for all’, a charity that educates women and girls in rural areas of Morocco and ‘Humanity and Inclusion UK’, that advocates the idea of inclusion and participation for all, upholding diversity and individual rights across areas of poverty and conflict.
Why Stanford?: "I am compelled to study at Stanford for the incredible academic and athletic prestige that it holds globally. The vast opportunities it gives to each student to ‘grab with both hands’ and explore their passions among a like-minded community of knowledge seekers is unrivaled. The idea of laying a path for each student to explore their interests and ambitions with challenge and enjoyment excites me greatly whether that is in the classroom or on the hockey pitch.”
Coach Ellis says: "Summer is a goal scorer; she can score in tight spaces and her shot selection when she is further away is excellent. Of course, putting balls in the back of the net is important, but Summer will also add a force on our first line of pressing.”
Tyla Ozgen • Westport, CT • Staples HS • AGH • Defender/Midfielder
Quick Profile: USA Field Hockey U18 Women's National Team Selection Camp (2023-24) … Top 50 Players in the USA – Class of 2025 – MAX Field Hockey … MAX Field Hockey All-Northeast Region First Team … Top-ranked AGH Field Hockey Club - U16 and U19 First Team … U16 National Club Championship All-Star (2022) … Four-year starter on Staples High School varsity field hockey team (2021-24), while also being named team captain, All-State and All-FCIAC Conference First Team (2024) and member of state championship team (2023).
Off the Turf: Academic First Honors Student … member of Mandarin Honors Society … youth field hockey coach … has played the violin for 10 years … enjoys cooking with friends and family.
Why Stanford?: "Stanford's academic and athletic environment is unparalleled. I wanted a diverse and nurturing atmosphere where I could pursue my scholarly and athletic development equally, and to my highest potential. Stanford's supportive athletic atmosphere and world-class academics made it an obvious choice. I am beyond thrilled and grateful to join the Stanford community, play in the ACC and call Stanford my second home!”
Coach Ellis says: "Tyla has the ability to play in the midfield or defensive line. She will enhance our team’s ability to break lines in distribution and her fundamental defensive skills will be a huge asset.”