UMass Field Hockey Signs Seven To NLIs

Feb. 3, 2012

AMHERST, Mass. - UMass field hockey head coach Carla Tagliente has announced the signing of seven student-athletes who will join the Minutewomen for the 2012 season. Sam Carlino, Hannah Hayward, Allie Sabia, Brooke Sabia, Courtney Spleen, Noralie Weusthuis and Madie Zimmerman have all inked National Letters of Intent to play for UMass as members of the Class of 2016.

"This is an outstanding group of young women that will make a positive impact on the field and in the classroom," said Tagliente. "Their skill level, passion and resiliency are going to strengthen our program and put us in a position to compete with the very best teams in the country. Each one of them has demonstrated a high level of achievement in the classroom, and three of the seven are coming to us having been captains on their respective teams. UMass Field Hockey is getting seven tremendous young women that truly embody what it means to be a student-athlete."

Name	Pos.	Hometown/Previous School
Sam Carlino	GK	Kennett Square, Pa./Unionville
Hannah Hayward	F	Glens Falls, N.Y.//Glens Falls
Allie Sabia	F/M	Lafayette, Hill, Pa./Mount St. Joseph Academy
Brooke Sabia	M/D	Lafayette, Hill, Pa./Mount St. Joseph Academy
Courtney Spleen	M/F	Reading, Pa./Exeter
Noralie Weusthuis	D/M	Hengelo, The Netherlands/S.G. Twickel
Madie Zimmerman	F/M	Villanova, Pa./Radnor

Sam Carlino - GK - Kennett Square, Pa./Unionville

Tagliente on Carlino: "Sam is an outstanding young goalkeeper. She is coming to us from one of the premier clubs in the country, and has competed with and against some of the very best young talent. She is quick, aggressive, and possesses natural instincts that are going to lend themselves well in her transition to the collegiate level. Sam has the potential to be one of the elite goalies on our country."

Earned all-area first team honors as a senior and was selected to the second team as a junior at Unionville High School ... Tabbed Ches-Mont All-League three times, including first team recognitions junior and senior year ... Backstopped team to an 18-5-1 record, a Ches-Mont American League title and a district finalist finish in 2011 ... Helped squad post a record of 11-5-2 and capture the Ches-Mont American League crown in 2010 ... Logged 12 shutouts as a senior with 156 saves on 173 shots for a .902 save percentage and posted a .793 goals-against average (18 goals in 23 games) ... Finished career with a .912 save percentage, a .912 GAA and 30 shutouts ... Played club with W.C. Eagles Field Hockey from 2007-2012 and was part of the team that took second at the National Club Championship in 2011 ... Also played softball at Unionville and was a three-time All-Chesmont League selection ... Has earned Distinguished Honors for academics all three years at Unionville thus far ... Born Samantha Ann Carlino on Nov. 14, 1994 in West Chester, Pa. .. Is the daughter of Michael and Amy Carlino ... Has one brother, Nathan.

Hannah Hayward - F - Glens Falls, N.Y.//Glens Falls

Tagliente on Hayward: "When I first met Hannah, two things came to mind - attitude and student of the game. Hannah has taken her game to a new level over the past few years with her commitment and dedication to simply playing the game. Her attitude and enthusiasm for competing and self-improvement are admirable and rare. She is an outstanding athlete with solid fundamental skills on both sides of the ball. Hannah will contribute on the forward line and in the midfield."

Received a first team all-area nod as a senior at Glens Falls High School ... Was First Team Foothills in 2011, second team in 2010 and honorable mention in 2009 ... Helped the Indians to a state semi-finals showing in 2010 and four appearances in sectionals ... Tabbed Post Star Hidden Hero as a freshman in 2008 ... Totaled 31 points as a senior on 13 goals and five assists ... Over four-year career registered 20 goals and 12 assists ... Part of USA Futures Program from 2008-2012 and Futures Level I in 2011-12 ... Won the National Futures Championship, National Club Championship and a N.Y. Empire State Games bronze medal ... Also played lacrosse for Glens Falls ... Born Hannah Elizabeth Hayward on Oct. 14, 1993 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. .. Is the daughter of Brian and Karen Hawyward ... Has two siblings, Sarah and John ... Cousin, Dave Strader, a UMass graduate ('77) is a sportscaster for the NHL on NBC.

Allie Sabia - F/M - Lafayette, Hill, Pa./Mount St. Joseph Academy

Tagliente on Sabia: "Allie is a true competitor. Her athleticism, determination, and ability to read and understand the game are what make her special. Allie is coming to us already with a solid foundation, and with her work ethic, she has the potential to develop into an impact player in the NCAA. She has outstanding possession and passing skills and I expect to see her up front and in the midfield this year for UMass."

Named a Regional All-American as a senior ... Three-time AACA All-Star (senior, junior, sophomore) ... Tabbed first team all-state and All-Southeastern Pennsylvania as a junior ... Part of AACA champion squads in 2010 and 2010 ... Helped the Magic reach district and PIAA State playoffs four times, including a State Final 4 appearance in 2010 ... 2011 U19 Field Hockey Championship ... 2011 National Indoor Pool A champion ... 2011 National Indoor Qualifier champion ... 2010 U16 National Indoor Qualifier champion ... 2010 AAU Junior Olympics ... 2010 National Field Hockey Championship ... Born Allison C. Sabia on March 29, 1994, in Philadelphia, Pa. ... Has a twin sister, teammate Brooke ... Father, John, played football and mother, Ginger, played tennis at Wake Forest ... Brother, John, played tennis at Army ... Brother, Ed, played football for Cornell.

Brooke Sabia - M/D - Lafayette, Hill, Pa./Mount St. Joseph Academy

Tagliente on Sabia: "Brooke is a tremendous athlete. Her speed, strength, and overall competitiveness will have an immediate impact on our offensive end. Brooke gives 150% every time she steps on the field, so combined with her sister Allie we are getting 300% pure effort and resiliency. You can't quantify the impact that has on a team. She has the ability to play multiple positions, which will be invaluable to our success moving forward."

Honored as a Regional All-American as a senior ... Three-time AACA All-Star (senior, junior, sophomore) ... Tabbed first team all-state and All-Southeastern Pennsylvania as a junior ... Part of AACA champion squads in 2010 and 2010 ... Helped the Magic reach district and PIAA State playoffs four times, including a State Final 4 appearance in 2010 ... 2011 U19 Field Hockey Championship ... 2011 National Indoor Pool A champion ... 2011 National Indoor Qualifier champion ... 2010 U16 National Indoor Qualifier champion ... 2010 AAU Junior Olympics ... 2010 National Field Hockey Championship ... 2008 AAU Junior Olympics ... 2008 U14 National Field Hockey Championship ... Born Brooke C. Sabia on March 29, 1994, in Philadelphia, Pa. ... Has a twin sister, teammate Allie ... Father, John, played football and mother, Ginger, played tennis at Wake Forest ... Brother, John, played tennis at Army ... Brother, Ed, played football for Cornell.

Courtney Spleen - M/F - Reading, Pa./Exeter

Tagliente on Spleen: "Courtney possesses great skill on both sides of the ball. She has very sound tackling fundamentals and excellent footwork. Both will enable her to get a lot of minutes in the midfield. Her vision and distribution skills will also be vital to our growth and development as a team. As captain of her team in high school, Courtney has shown that she possesses strong leadership qualities and tremendous character."

Led Exeter in scoring in 2009 and 2010 and assists in 2011 ... Served as team captain for the Eagles in 2011 ... Playing indoor club, was part of X-Calibur team that took third at the 2011 USFHA Club Championship ... 2011 X-Calibur USFHA U19 NIC Championship squad member ... USFHA Futures 2008-2011 ... Also played lacrosse for Exeter and won county championship in 2011 ... Academically, earned All-Honors 2009-2012 ... Born Courtney Elizabeth Spleen on Jan. 20, 1994, in Reading, Pa. ... Daughter of John and Patty Spleen ... Has two siblings, Taylor and Logan.

Noralie Weusthuis - D/M - Hengelo, The Netherlands/S.G. Twickel

Tagliente on Weusthuis: "Noralie will be an exciting player to watch for the next four years. She comes from a hockey family with her mother, father and older sister all having played. She has competed at an elite level in The Netherlands from a very early age. Playing primarily at center back/defensive center midfield, Noralie's skill level and leadership have raised the level of those around her. She is a charismatic young woman, and her knowledge of the game is quite impressive. We are really excited to have Noralie join the UMass field hockey family."

Member of the Union Ladies 1 team in 2011, the second highest level of field hockey competiton in The Netherlands ...Trained and competed with Hockey Club Union from 2008-11, winning one district outdoor championship and two indoor national titles ... From 2005-08, was selected to play for the Eastern District team for her age level, a feeder program for the Dutch national youth teams ... Played five seasons with Hockey Club Twente ... Born Nov., 7, 1993 ... Daughter of René and Titia Weusthuis ... Has one sister, Annelot.

Madie Zimmerman - F/M - Villanova, Pa./Radnor

Tagliente on Zimmerman: "Madie is an extremely poised player. She has trained and competed with one of the top club teams in the country, which has helped her to develop a solid foundation of basic skills. Her vision and passing skills will lend us more depth in our midfield. Madie is very driven on the field and in the classroom. She represents what we look for in our student-athletes."

Tabbed second team All-Central League and second team All-Main Line in 2010 ... Playing for WC Eagles, won Festival Pool W championship in 2010 and NIT Pool J championship ... Was the leading scorer for the U16 Diamonds in 2010 ... Part of squad that reached the PIAA District I Class 3A quarterfinals and qualified for PIAA State Championship as the Central League undefeated champions in 2009 ... Also competed in track & field as a freshman and sophomore ... Distinguished Honor Roll Member ... National French Exam runner up ... Born Apr. 6, 1994, in Bryn Mawr, Pa. ... Daughter of Phil Zimmerman and Carolyn Dougherty ... Has one sister, Noelle ... Great-grandfather, James Brown Lee, played professional soccer in Ireland ... Uncle, Lee Zimmerman, was a nationally-ranked weight lifter.

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