Field Hockey Adds Four More to Recruiting Class of 2020

NORFOLK, Va. – Head coach Andrew Griffiths of the Old Dominion field hockey program has announced the addition of four more new recruits that will be joining the Monarchs this fall. 
 
The four newest members of the team are Marlon de Bruijne, Delphine Le Jeune, Evelyn Murray and Sidney Snyder. They will be joining Lauren Holbrook, Delphine Marien, Shannon Quaile, Manon Scholl, Rina Tsioles, Jolene Ulichney and Eveline Westera to round out the recruiting class of 2020. 
 
To learn more about the first wave of recruits Griffiths and his team of coaches have brought in, click here.
 
"We have added four more players to our incoming class for next season, and these are really positive additions to our team," Griffiths said. "What strikes me about each of these four is their enthusiasm and excitement to join the ODU Field Hockey program. As they learned more about our team and our aspirations, each of them showed a strong desire to be part of our journey. They each express it in a different way, but it's an exciting to see this common trait among these talented student-athletes."
 
Marlon de Bruijne
Position: F
Hometown: Den Bosch, The Netherlands
High School: Sint-Janslyceum
Club Team: HC Tilburg
 
Marlon de Bruijne is one of two members of the class of 2020 to come to ODU from the Netherlands. De Bruijne is a talented forward who has played for for HC Tilburg for the past three years. Prior to that, she was a member of the HC Den Bosch club team. 
 
Last season, de Bruijne led her club team to a regional pool championship and the best division in the Netherlands, leading the team in scoring. At the indoor championships, her squad finished fourth. 
 
The year before that her team finished third in the indoor championships and fourth in the Netherlands in the under-16 division. This season was cut short due to COVID-19, but de Bruijne and the rest of HC Tilburg managed to hold their own and rise to the top division.
 
Head Coach Andrew Griffiths on de Bruijne:
"We expect Marlon to bring a goal scorer's mentality, a striker's mentality to the field for our team. She has excellent technical skills and shooting instincts. Although our team was strong last year and we found ways to win games, we didn't score a ton of goals, and we aim to increase those numbers this season. With Riley returning and emerging as a leader on our forward line, we see Marlon as a key player in a group of dynamic new attacking players who can put the ball in the net for us"

Associate Head Coach Natalie Holder on de Bruijne:
"I was very impressed when I first saw Marlon's recruiting video; she is a natural goal scorer and a very creative player. Her attacking instincts inside the circle is exactly what we are looking for and she will complement our returning players around her. Her experience from playing at a very high level in Europe will also be a huge asset to the team and I know her personality will fit in very well with the group. In speaking with Marlon, it is clear that she is very excited to be a Monarch!"

Why de Bruijne chose ODU:
"I chose ODU because of the warmth I got from the coaches and staff and the team players. Everyone was so good to me and it already felt like home and it feels like I can ask them anything. I can't wait to play for this team!"


 
 
Delphine Le Jeune
Position: M/B
Hometown: Ghent, Belgium
Previous School: Arteveldehogeschool
Club Team: La Gantoise
 
After spending a year studying in her home country of Belgium, Delphine Le Jeune will join the Monarch midfield this fall. Le Jeune has made a name for herself in the Belgian field hockey circuit, as she played for both the U14 and U18 national field hockey teams.
 
She has also played for two club teams, Club Indiana and more recently La Gantoise. La Gantoise is a team filled with national team players from all over the world, but Le Jeune managed to rise to the occasion and earn a spotting start on the talented roster. In 2018, La Gantoise won the Eurohockey Club Challenge II and was undefeated in the 2019 season, but the Coronavirus pandemic prevented the team from competing for its second title in a row. 
 
Even when she isn't playing, La Jeune is around the game. She serves as a coach and a trainer for her first club team, Club Indiana. 

Head Coach Andrew Griffiths on Le Jeune:
"Delphine LJ impressed us from the start in a number of ways. Her maturity and perspective on the game is strong, and this comes as a result of having played in several different positions in in the top Belgian League in the midfield and backfield. As we look to re-build some of the core positioning of our team, her versatility and playing experience will help us significantly. She can play at a high level anywhere in those two lines, so she will help make us stronger and deeper as a team."

Associate Head Coach Natalie Holder on Le Jeune:
"LJ has a very mature approach to both her playing style and perspective on the game. She is a very versatile and competitive player who can play in a few different positions for us. She has also played at a high level in Belgium and will bring this experience to the team.  She shares very similar goals and aspirations so it is a perfect fit.  I am very excited to work with LJ and have her here with us in Norfolk."

Why Le Jeune chose ODU:
"My impression of ODU was extremely positive and Andrew gave me a warm welcome. He explained to me the goals they want to achieve in the upcoming years and what my role could be on the team. Besides that, their way of play leans close to the way I am used to playing in Belgium. I am very happy to have chosen ODU!"


 
 
Evelyn Murray
Position: B/M
Hometown: Virginia Beach, Va.
High School: First Colonial
Club Team: Saints Hockey Rocks
 
Evelyn Murray makes her return to Hampton Roads after spending last season redshirting at Penn State. A native of Virginia Beach, she attended First Colonial High School and played alongside Monarch teammates Marlee McClendon, Riley Taylor and fellow new recruit Manon Scholl.
 
Murray was a four-year starter with the Patriots and helped lead her team to three Beach District Championships, two Region Six Championships and one Virginia State Championship. A member of the US U-19 National Field Hockey squad, she earned all-state honors three times, was named the Class 6A All-State Player of the Year in 2018. That year, she was also named first team All-Tidewater and first team NFHCA All-American.
 
Murray also earned accolades off the field and in the classroom as well with First Colonial. She won the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Student-Athlete Achievement Award, was named an AP Scholar with Distinction and was on the NFHCA National All-Academic Squad. She earned the third-highest grade in her graduating class of 425 students.  

 
Head Coach Andrew Griffiths on Murray:
"I have watched and been impressed with Evelyn's play and competitive drive for a number of years when she was at high school close to here, and I know she has great potential. She has grown and learned a lot from her experience this past year, and we are so pleased to welcome her home to Virginia. She is a dynamic player who has good instincts both offensively and defensively, and will make an impact on the game. I am excited to see her work hard, and see her growth with our ODU team in the coming years."

 
Associate Head Coach Natalie Holder on Murray:
"I am very excited to have Evelyn join our team. I actually first coached Evelyn when she was a young aspiring hockey star at a youth camp when she was 10 years old and I enjoyed watching her grow into a dominant high school player. Her level of maturity and hockey knowledge will be a huge asset to the team and I know she will be a dominate player on the field. I am looking forward to seeing her compete in an ODU jersey in-front of her home crowd again."

 
Why Murray chose ODU:
"I chose ODU because I wanted to be a part of a successful program that allowed me to contribute to my hometown community.  I am ecstatic to return to Virginia for four more years and continue the successes that the ODU field hockey team have established.  I look forward to the opportunity to join my former high school teammates on the field."


 
Sidney Snyder
Position: M/F
Hometown: Timonium, Md.
High School: Dulaney High School
Club Team: Reach FHC
 
Hailing from the neighboring state of Maryland, Sidney Snyder brings an impressive field hockey resumé to ODU. At Dulaney High School, she played all four years at the varsity level and excelled in her junior and senior seasons. In 2018, Snyder earned first team All-County honors for the first time and was named the Fall Female Athlete of the Year. She also participated in the Under Armor Select Game that year.
 
Snyder followed her impressive junior year with a stellar senior campaign, as she was named a Baltimore Sun Player to Watch, first team All-Metro, and she was selected to the NFHCA All-Star team. She also participated in the NFHCA Winter Escape Showcase, where she was named the top performer. 
 
Off the field, Snyder was a part of the student-athlete leadership board and she was named a scholar athlete. 

Head Coach Andrew Griffiths on Snyder:
"Sidney is an excellent athlete and has great potential as a field hockey player. She has been coached in her club program by one of ODU's legendary field hockey players, Mimi Smith. She knows she will be pushed to compete and perform at a high level, and has the ability to do so. She has a humble and hardworking approach. This, combined with her natural athleticism, means can adapt to a number of positions, and this versatility will make her valuable to our team."

Associate Head Coach Natalie Holder on Snyder:
"Sidney is an excellent addition to our 2020 incoming class. On the field she is a very dynamic, hardworking player who fits our style and is very eager to learn. She is extremely well coached with her current club team and I know she will bring a great deal of competitiveness and toughness to our team. Welcome to the Monarch Family Sidney!"
 
Why Snyder chose ODU:
"I chose to play field hockey for ODU because I wanted to play for a successful and challenging team that competes at a high level. I also love the supportive and positive coaching staff and teammates."