University of Massachusets Athletics
Field Hockey Signs Seven To Class of 2024
March 29, 2024 | Field Hockey
AMHERST, MASS – The University of Massachusetts field hockey program will welcome seven top freshmen this year as part of the Minutewomen's 2024 recruiting class. Elena Clococeanu (Hamburg, Germany), Anna Cowan (Portsmouth, NH), Cara Falconer (Woking, England), Macarena Gonzalez (Tucumán, Argentina), Sophia Ponzini (Windham, NH), Elani Sherwood (Surbiton, England) and Hannah Ward (Guelph, Ontario) will join the Minutewomen for the 2024 season, Head Coach Barb Weinberg and her staff announced Friday.
"We are very excited to officially welcome our 2024 incoming class to the UMass Field Hockey family, said Barb Weinberg." "They are a group of diverse, dynamic, and competitive student-athletes who will add huge value to our program both on and off the field."
Elena Clococeanu joins the Minutewomen out of Hamburg, Germany where she played for Wilhelm Gymnasium. The defender comes to Amherst as a two-time German Indoor Vice Champion at both the U14 (2016) and U18 (2018) levels. Clococeanu has most recently played in the first Bundesliga since 2019.
A New England native, Anna Cowan arrives in Amherst from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Playing for The Hill School (Pa.) Cowan helped lead a team named 2022 PAISAA and 2021, 2022, and 2023 MAPL Champions. The midfielder earned numerous awards at the high school level being named a Max Field Hockey class of 2024 top 100 player to watch, and a 2022 and 2023 NFHCA National High School Academic Squad member.
A Woking, England native Cara Falconer joins the Minutewomen after a successful high school career in her home country. Attending Gordon's School in Surrey, England Falconer was named the 2022 Ladies Player of The Season. The midfielder has also had success at the international level, earning her first cap for the Scottish National Team in June of 2023. Excelling on the pitch and in the classroom, Falconer was named an Academic and Hockey Scholar during her time at Gordon's School.
Macarena Gonzalez del Pino Guerci signs with UMass after a stellar amateur career in her home country of Argentina. The goalkeeper has been a standout in net at each step in her career, earning All-State honors at the U14 (2018), U16 (2019) and U19 (2023) levels. A National Club Champion in 2019 and regional runner-up in 2022 and 2023, Gonzalez comes to Amherst having repeatedly reached the highest levels of team success.
Another New Hampshire native, Sophia Ponzini joins the Minutewomen out of Windham. A four-year varsity starter and two-time team captain, Ponzini helped lead Windham High School to the 2020 Division I State Championship. The Midfielder also earned numerous individual accolades during her high school career, being selected as a Max Field Hockey All-New England team selection (2023), Eagle Tribune All-Star and two-time Team MVP.
Elani Sherwood makes the move to western Massachusetts out of Surbiton, England where she represented both club and country. Sherwood has represented England at both the U16 and U18 level while also playing for Surbiton Hockey Club in the Ladies Premier League. A U14 and U18 National Champion, Sherwood joins the Minutewomen after finding championship success in her home country.
Hannah Ward joins the Minutewomen after a tremendous high school career at Lexington High School (Mass.). A Guelph, Ontario native Ward has earned caps with both the U17 and U18 Canadian Junior National Teams, including tours to both the Netherlands and Chula Vista, California. The midfielder comes to Amherst after a successful 2023 campaign, winning gold at the 2023 Nexus Championships and earning Liberty League MVP honors. A Max Field Hockey Top 50 Player selection, Ward also provides excellence in the classroom earning both Boston Herald and Boston Globe All-Scholastic honors in 2023.
The seven newcomers will join a Minutewomen squad fresh off a 2023 campaign which saw them earn 13 wins and advance to the Atlantic 10 Championship Final. The 2024 class represents five different countries and three states.
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