May 6, 2009
2009 Schedule Includes Defending NCAA Champ Maryland Braun, Uehara, Gandhi Honored At Annual Awards BanquetSTANFORD, Calif.- Stanford head coach Lesley Irvine has announced the signing of six recruits to national letters of intent. The group will join the Cardinal for the 2009 campaign.
The class includes: Becky Dru (Buckinghamshire, England), Julia LaSalvia (Virginia Beach, Va.), Kelsey Lloyd (Shavertown, Pa.), Emily Henriksson (Bell Canyon, Calif.), Colleen Ryan (Huntington Beach, Calif.) and Alysha Sekhon (West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada).
"This recruiting class represents the positive momentum currently associated with the program," said Irvine, who has guided Stanford to back-to-back NorPac Tournament titles. "This is arguably the most experienced and decorated class we've recruited to Stanford. We are very excited to combine the new talent with our current ability and experience. We have very high expectations for the team this season and it should be a very exciting year."
Stanford's recent recruiting classes have paid immediate dividends, as a Cardinal player has claimed the conference Rookie of the Year honor six straight seasons. Next year's group includes three players who have national team experience and/or training.
A 5-9 defender, Dru is the latest England product to join the Cardinal, joining current NFHCA First Team West Region All-Americans Camille Gandhi and Xanthe Travlos. Dru possesses a wealth of national team experience as a member of England's U16 and U18 squads, in addition to winning a gold medal at the Home Nations Tournament and claiming a bronze medal at the 4 Nations Tournament. Dru arrives on The Farm from Sir William Borlase's Grammar School, where she enjoyed a standout prep career. A member of five indoor and outdoor County Schools championship squads, Dru was a four-time team captain that also guided her team to a 2004 Regional Schools indoor title. Dru earned three different Player of the Year honors and played on three championship squads while competing for club teams Wycombe Rye and Reading.
LaSalvia is a 5-3 goalkeeper and multi-sport standout from Cape Henry Collegiate School. In addition to earning varsity letters in basketball and track, LaSalvia lettered in field hockey all four seasons. As a team captain in her senior year, LaSalvia helped direct her team to a conference championship and appearance in the state semifinals. That same season, she was also tabbed all-conference, all-region and awarded a spot on the state All-Tournament team. LaSalvia has experience competing for the Beach Premier club organization that was crowned 2007 National Hockey Festival Champions. She was also selected to the 2007 National Futures Championships.
A 5-9 midfielder, Lloyd has international experience as a four-time Junior National Camp member while traveling with the U.S. U18 and U16 squads. She earned four letters in field hockey and two in lacrosse from The Taft School. Lloyd's prep teams qualified for the league playoffs from 2006-08, including a state semifinal appearance in 2005. A three-time conference all-star and two-time league all-tournament selection, Lloyd was also named a NFHCA first team High School All-American and All-Region selection as a senior. A member of club teams Valley Styx and Pocono, Lloyd earned a combined six gold medals during her tenure with both organizations.
Henriksson, a 5-4 forward, is a product of Louisville High School. A four-year letterwinner, Henriksson was a three-time MVP during her prep career while also receiving all-tournament honors as a junior. She competed with the Hollywood club squad, earning Athlete of the Year honors in 2008 while helping guide her team to a runner-up finish in the 2007 Cal Cup as an U16 player. A four-year member of the Futures Elite organization, Henriksson has been selected to the the Junior National Camp for two years and also has two seasons of experience competing for the Olympic Development Select team.
Ryan, a 5-2 midfielder, is another multi-sport performer from Huntington Beach High School, where she lettered four years in field hockey and three in track. Ryan's high school teams were two-time Southern Section Sunset League champions, and followed a 2007 CIF Southern Section title with a runner-up finish one year later. A NFHCA Regional High School All American selection as a senior, Ryan was a two-time all-section and all-league honoree. Ryan's club experience includes a three-year stint with the Hollywood Athletics Club/OC Field Hockey squad while her Mulligan Field Hockey club team was crowned 2008 National Field Hockey Festival pool winners. She was selected to the National Futures Championships during the 2007 and 2008 campaigns.
A 5-2 forward from Collingwood School, Sekhon becomes the second native of British Columbia, Canada, on the Cardinal roster, joining Jennifer Luther. In addition to field hockey, Sekhon also participated in basketball, soccer and track as a prepster. During her senior campaign, Sekhon's team was crowned British Columbia AA High School Provincial champions and North Shore AA High School League champions. She also earned MVP honors in each of her last two years and was a two-time first-team North Shore AA Athletic Association All-Star. Sekhon's club team experience is also extensive, participating for the West Vancouver Field Hockey Club and Meralomas Field Hockey Club squad. Sekhon has been selected to represent her regional and provincial teams at the Canadian National Championships.
The 2009 Stanford field hockey schedule features a new format in conference play and five contests against NCAA Tournament squads from a year ago, including defending national champion Maryland. The 17-game regular-season schedule includes six home contests, beginning with the season opener against Missouri State on Aug. 30. Stanford will also host the 2009 NorPac Championship, which is slated for Nov. 5-7 at the Varsity Turf.
Stanford finished 9-11 overall in 2008, advancing to the NCAA Play-in game for the second straight season. The Cardinal was also crowned NorPac Tournament champions for the second year in a row and won seven of its final nine games to close out the season.