NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion head field hockey coach Andrew Griffiths announced the signing of eight new student-athletes to the Lady Monarchs' squad for the 2017 season. This week's feature will highlight Mia Fucci (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) and Hanna McKie (Edinburgh, Scotland/Mary Erskine School).
Fucci, who hails from Warwick High School in Lititz, Pennsylvania, projects as a forward or midfielder for the Lady Monarchs next season. A four-year starter on Warwick's field hockey team and a 2016 Field Hockey All-Star, Fucci also excelled in track, breaking the 4x100 relay record in 2013. She played her club field hockey for the Spooky Nook Academy out of Manheim, Pennsylvania.
“Mia stood out to me at camp with her tenacity and determination on the field," Griffiths said. "She played and learned at an excellent High School program at Warwick, and she led the attacking line as a quick, powerful athlete, who can disrupt opponents on both sides of the ball. She has played mainly on the forward line, but she has shown real growth in a midfield role, where she sees the game well and communicates with intensity. Her ability to connect and communicate will help her to adapt quickly to the speed of the game at the college level.”
Off the field, Fucci received distinguished honor roll accolades from grades seven through 12. She plans to major in biology at Old Dominion.
"I chose Old Dominion because I loved the unity between the team," Fucci stated. "I am all for playing as a team and not for yourself. I love the program and respect the coaches very much. The school in general has everything that I dreamt about. They have my major, the size of the school is great and the location is perfect."
McKie, a native of Edinburgh, Scotland and a product of the Mary Erskine School, will play forward for the Lady Monarchs next season. A member of Scotland's U-18 National Team, McKie was also the leading scorer on her school team and the top scorer for her team at the HDM tournament in the Netherlands. She played her club field hockey for Grove Menzieshill.
"Hanna is a skillful and smart attacker, who loves to score goals. She has represented Scotland at the U-18 level, and has also been called up to train with the Senior National Team. She has a strong understanding of positioning and movement, and has the athleticism and timing to be a real goal-scoring threat in the attacking circle. Hanna is another player who connects well with the players around her on the field, and this is going to help our attacking group to be more dangerous and productive."
"When I came on my visit to ODU I loved meeting and getting to know the team," McKie mentioned. "I had so much fun going to watch a soccer game and loved the atmosphere at the University. I love the idea of playing and training in a warm environment instead of rainy Scotland."