NORFOLK, Va. -- With the Old Dominion field hockey season quickly approaching, ODUSports.com will feature all nine newcomers for the 2016 season with a two-part series. Part one will highlight Julia Demeester, Erin Huffman, Marlee McClendon, Jessica Miller and Ashleigh Thomas.
Demeester, an incoming freshman from Elizabethtown Area High School in Pennsylvania, was a four-year varsity starter where she scored 31 goals and dished out 19 assists for 81 points. She was named the Team Offensive MVP twice, a two-time Lancaster Lebanon League All-Star and was named a PIAA All-State All-Star following her senior campaign. Demeester also played ice hockey and lacrosse and was a standout in the classroom, earning Academic All-American honors and was a member of the National Honors Society.
“I chose ODU because it felt like home to me,” said Demeester. “Andrew and Natalie not only emphasized the importance of family, but the team itself felt like one and that caught my attention. The top of the line facilities were an added bonus and the school offers all I could ever need to succeed in my intended major of biology.”
Huffman hails from Annville, Pa. where she was a four-year member of the Palmyra Area High School field hockey program. She played in 100 games during her career and posted a record of 88-11-1. She led the team in scoring three times, racking up 84 goals and 19 assists during those three years. Huffman was a standout on the field and brought in a plethora of awards throughout her career and was named a Max Field Hockey top 50 player in 2015. She was named First Team All-County, All-State and All-Region three times, while earning two First Team Big 11 honors. She was also named a NFHCA High School All-American in 2015 and was a member of the USFHA AAU Junior Olympic team for two years. Huffman also excelled in the classroom, earning NFHCA National Academic Squad honors and was a member of her high school’s Honor Roll and National Honors Society.
“I chose Old Dominion because of the great coaching staff, the location and the Honors College,” said Huffman.
McClendon comes to ODU from Virginia Beach where she was a part of the First Colonial High School field hockey program. During her time, she earned two First Team All-Conference, All-State, All-Region and All-Tidewater honors. She was also named to the NFHCA All-South Region as a senior. She helped lead her team to a State Championship in 2012 and 2015 and a runner-up finish in 2013 and 2014. McClendon was a three-sport athlete in high school, also earning Second Team All-Conference honors in both basketball and soccer as a senior. She was also a part of the program that won two silver medals at the National Club Championship, and was a part of the development team that won the National Futures Championship two times.
“I chose to come to Old Dominion because of the history of the field hockey program, the coaching style and because I really enjoy the school’s atmosphere,” said McClendon.
Miller, from Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, Va., was a four-year varsity letter winner. She was a three-time First Team All-District honoree, while bringing in two First Team All-Region and Second Team All-State laurels. The two-time team captain was also named All-Met Honorable Mention as a senior. She also won her high school’s Rookie of the Year (2012), Defender of the Year (2013), Midfielder of the Year (2014) and Most Valuable Player (2015) awards. Miller also played soccer in high school, where she was a three-time captain of the varsity team and a starter since her sophomore campaign. Outside of high school, Miller was a member of the U.S. Olympic development program, “Futures,” for three years and won a silver medal in the National Futures Championship in 2015.
“I chose ODU because the first time I went to a field hockey camp there the atmosphere was so competitive and challenging, yet welcoming,” said Miller. “Every time I visited after that everyone treated me as if they had known me for years. I was impressed with the coaching staff and I learned so much. ODU feels like home.”
Thomas, a Pennsylvania State Champion at Crestwood High School, posted an impressive 94-5-1 overall record over her career. During her time, the program won four Wyoming Valley Conference and PIAA District II titles and was a three-time Pennsylvania state finalist, winning the title in 2012. She was a four-time Wyoming Valley Coaches All-State selection and was named Citizens Voice First Team All-Conference two times. Thomas was also named a First Team NPF Sports All-District honoree, as she finished her career with 77 goals, 40 assists to total 194 points. She was also a four-time track and field district qualifier in the high jump, 4x100 relay, 4x800 relay and long jump. Thomas was just as successful in the classroom as she was on the field, as she was a member of the National Honors Society, Spanish National Honors Society and earned NFHCA National Academic Squad laurels as a senior.
“I chose Old Dominion because of the great program and the coaching staff,” said Thomas. “The school also offers a good marine sciences program and was highly recommended by other players and coaches.”