[ad_1]
Abbey Barnett and Melea Weber, who were recently named Morning Call Field Hockey Players of the Year from Emmaus, have some catching up to do after returning from Calgary, Alberta, in March, where they competed on the team in the Women’s Indoor Cup. At the Pan American Games, where he contributed to USA’s victory.
For Barnett, that means returning to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she is completing her first year as a pre-med biology major. For Weber, he went to Belgium for a week to play with Team USA’s U18 team before returning to Emmaus High School for his final months as a high school student.
Weber will continue to play lacrosse for Emmaus this season. She got a late start due to her world travels and didn’t have enough practice times to start her week.
While in Canada from March 17-22, Barnett and Webber not only reunited as teammates, but also contributed to Team USA’s key victory. They won all five of their first four matches by a combined score of 27-4, and then won the championship on March 22nd on penalties against Argentina after extra time.
Barnett is one of Team USA’s tri-captains, along with Riley Heck (North Carolina State) and Hope Rose (Maryland State), and currently has 11 caps as a member of the indoor national team.
For Weber, this tournament was a little more special. Last year, she traveled with her national team to the World Cup in South Africa, but she realized at the last minute that it was not a good fit for her. This time, she earned her first three caps (international appearances) and her first international goal.
The event became even more fun when 24-year-old Ern Matson, one of the best players in U.S. history and currently the UNC coach, came out of retirement to play. Weber had the rare experience of playing for his future coach. She is under contract to play at North Carolina in the fall.
“I was excited to play and get my first cap and goal,” Weber said. “It was a really good experience for me. Play with me [future] Coaching was also fun. A few weeks before we left, she texted me. She texted me before practice and she said she can’t wait to win a medal. She was really excited when she got the email from her. ”
Matson influenced Burnett as well as his play. Matson led the Tar Heels to the NCAA Division I championship in his first season as head coach in 2023, one year after becoming a Tar Heel player. Barnett said Matson gave her valuable leadership advice.
“It was really cool,” Barnett said. “I learned a lot from [Matson]. Her leadership is special. I took a leadership role there and was named captain of the team along with two other great captains. Managing such a team was a challenge, but with her help and advice I was able to improve my leadership skills. ”
“I am entering the school as a new student. [in the fall]play with [Matson] It’s really exciting,” Weber said. “It’s an experience that I’m very grateful for. I’ll never forget. She’s a great role model for all the young girls. She’s a great leader. She’s the one who brought us together and gave us a pep talk before every game. She really supported all of us. She stepped up when we needed her the most in the final game.”
Barnett said he once roomed with Rose, a former Central Dauphin star. Burnett (Emmaus) and Rose (Central Dauphin) faced off in 2020 when Emmaus won the PIAA Class 3A championship. This topic comes up from time to time.
Burnett will also play Team USA in five-man hockey. This hockey 5-a-side is a relatively new concept in which each team has his five players (four field players and one goalie). Playing traditional outdoor, indoor and his five-man hockey allows Barnett to develop a fuller set of skills.
“[Winning the Indoor Pan Am] It was really special,” Barnett said. “I competed in the Pan Am in hockey five-a-side, which is a new format. It was really cool, but I think it’s indoor. [field hockey], I have a special place in my heart for indoors. It’s a fun and fast game, but it doesn’t get much attention. The win was really special, especially for our team. ”
Webber scored his first international goal after receiving a pass from the genius Reese Daliano. She was not yet a sophomore in high school and was already a two-year veteran on the indoor national team. Weber scored more than 100 goals in her high school career, and she scored her school record 65 goals last season at Emmaus, but this time was different.
“You could see it in her face,” Barnett said. “Her face lit up when she scored her first goal for her country. Especially since she couldn’t play last year, it was great for a player she’s played with for so long to get that opportunity. It was special to see [in South Africa]”
As evidenced by their recent qualification to this summer’s Paris Olympics and victory at the Pan Am Indoor Cup, Team USA has performed well in many iterations of the game, including outdoor, indoor, and five-man hockey. Masu.
“We’re definitely doing our best there,” Weber said. “Our results are getting better and our confidence is going up because we’re winning. That’s going to motivate a lot of the girls to keep playing.”
Team USA won the tournament in Calgary, qualifying for the Indoor World Cup in Croatia in February.
Tim Shoemaker is a freelance writer.
[ad_2]
Source link
