University of Massachusets Athletics
Widdall Named To USA Developmental Team
June 03, 2011 | Field Hockey
June 3, 2011
AMHERST, Mass. - USA Field Hockey has announced that UMass rising senior goalkeeper Alesha Widdall has been named to the 2011 USA Women's National Development Team. The Whitney Point, N.Y. native has been a member of the USA Junior National Team since 2006, including competing at the 2009 Junior World Cup, as well as being a two-time All-American and three-time All-Conference first-teamer in her three seasons at UMass.
The National Development Team announced is a major step for Widdall as she moves closer to becoming a member of the USA Women's Senior National Team. The squad is used as a feeder program to develop top talent for the National Team, which will be competing in the Pan American Games and Olympic Games over the course of the next year.
The announcement came following the conclusion of the Women's Senior National Championship in Washington, D.C. last week. Widdall's New England team finished fifth in the tournament, including a 4-0 shutout over California in her final game.
New Jersey won the championship in overtime over the South team with UMass Assistant Coach Roz Ellis playing and first-year Head Coach Carla Tagliente assisting the New Jersey squad.
Besides Widdall, Women's National Team Head Coach Lee Bodimeade named the following 12 people to the National Development Team: Meghan Dawson (Berlin, NJ), Stephanie Fee (Virginia Beach, VA), Laura Gebhart (Mount Joy, PA), Laura Greenwald (Carlsbad, CA), Rayell Heistad (Hamburg, PA), Kim Katsuk (Putnam Valley, NY), Kelsey Kolojejchick (Larksville, PA), Marta Malmberg (Marathon, NY), Katelyn Smither (Suffolk, VA), Caitlyn Van Sickle (Wilmington, DE), Jill Witmer (Lancaster, PA), Emily Wold (Freehold, NJ).
Besides her appearance in the 2009 Junior World Cup in Boston, Widdall has also played internationally with USA Junior teams in tours of Argentina, Australia, Germany, and Mexico.
At UMass in 2010, Widdall was 15-8 with a 1.19 GAA and eight shutouts. She was named Third-Team All-American to go along with third straight All-Conference and All-Region honors. Widdall's work in the classroom was also recognized as she was named Atlantic 10 Student-Athlete of the Year and UMass Fall Scholar Athlete.