NORFOLK, Va. -- Over the next few weeks ODUSports will introduce the field hockey incoming class of 2015 in three installments. The first three additions are Tori Harwood, Chrissy Horn and Alex Iqbal.
“We had just an excellent spring as a team, and have created a really solid foundation for this coming season,” said head field hockey coach Andrew Griffiths. “The incoming group is large in number, diverse in background and playing styles, and they are a strong group academically. We look forward to the challenge of integrating them all into our team, and to an exciting season ahead.”
Harwood attended Gloucester High School, where she was a four-year varsity field hockey member. She was a standout member of the team, earning All-Conference honors three times over her career. As a sophomore, she was named Second Team All-Conference and earned First Team All-Conference honors as a junior and senior. She was also named First Team All-Region, Second Team All-State and to the Daily Press Team following her junior and senior campaigns. She led the team to a runner-up finish at the State Championships and also broke the Gloucester single season scoring record with 31 goals as a junior.
Harwood also played with the Peninsula Youth Field Hockey Association throughout her high school career. She helped lead the team to the National Indoor Tournament twice, placing fourth on both occasions. She also guided the team to a first-place finish at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
“Tori is a powerful athlete who plays fast and aggressive, coming from a successful high school and club program,” said Griffiths. “We have seen her grow athletically over the past years, and we are excited to see her develop, as she has the ability to play in different positions on the field.”
Horn travels to Old Dominion from London, England, where she was a member of the Saxon Tigers club team and the England Under 16 and Under 18 National teams. She also participated in the National School Finals Indoor and Outdoor Leagues in 2013 and was a member of the St. Albans Ladies team.
She was named the Young Player of the Year, Queenswood School First XI Caption and helped her indoor team for a final appearance in 2015. She was also a standout in the classroom, earning Hockey Scholar honors four times.
“Chrissy has experience playing at the junior international level, which will be valuable to our team,” noted Griffiths. “She has speed, athleticism and a good technical skill set, and we are looking forward to adding these elements to our attacking play.”
Iqbal played three seasons at Penn before deciding to transfer to Old Dominion University to pursue her Masters in the Engineering Management Program. She was a two-time captain and started in all 48 games during her career. She recorded 12 goals and 13 assists to total 37 points as a defender.
As a freshman, she started in all 17 games and was named Second Team All-Ivy, was one of two players to receive the Gail Lipstein Award for outstanding freshman and was a High Performance North participant. She missed her sophomore campaign due to an injury during the preseason, but bounced back as a junior to start in all 17 games once again. She repeated as a High Performance North participant and added the U21 Futures Championships to her resume. Over her final season with the Quakers, she led the team in shots and tied for the team high in assists with eight, finishing 25th in the country in assists per game (0.57). She concluded the year with Honorable Mention All-Ivy honors. Iqbal is also a standout in the classroom, earning NFHCA Academic Squad honors all four years at Penn.
“Alex is a smart, experienced player who has performed at a high level during her playing career at UPenn,” added Griffiths. “She sees the field well and is a quality passer in the midfield. She has a great job waiting for her already, and we were thrilled that she took the opportunity to defer for a year, join our team and earn her masters degree at ODU.”
Follow Old Dominion Field Hockey on Twitter at twitter.com/ODUFieldHockey and find them on Facebook at facebook.com/ODUFH!