Loretto, Pa. – The Saint Francis field hockey team is welcoming six new faces to its team in preparation for the 2020 season. All six players are coming from field hockey programs in Pennsylvania.

 

Saint Francis is coming off a 5-14 record, including a 2-6 record in a strong A-10 conference. This year's signees will not see A-10 action though, as the Red Flash will be back to the NEC for its 2020 season.

 

Julia Breneman (Mechanicsburg, Pa. / Cedar Cliff)

 

Breneman lettered all four years in high school and anchored the defense as the captain of a team that finished 15-4-1 this season and reached the MidPenn District 3 AAA Quarterfinals. She was a three-time member of the First-Team MidPenn All-Star Team and started every game in her four years. Breneman also played club field hockey for Central Penn, helping her team to a fourth-place finish in Pool A of the U19 National Indoor Tournament.

 

A National Honors Society member, Julia plans to study Business at SFU.

 

Coach Ceretta on Breneman: "Julia is a very dynamic player and will be a great force inside of our defensive end.  She brings solid stick skills and a determination to the team that will improve everyone's play.  We look forward to watching Julia continue to grow into a great leader and teammate!"

 

Ella Maillie (Reading, Pa. / Exeter Township)

 

Maillie is a four-year letterer for Exeter Township and has compiled 32 goals and 13 assists over her career. She received two All-Division Second Team honors in 2016 and 2017 and All-Division First Team honors in 2018 and 2019. She was also named to the High School National Academic Squad and the Class AAA All-State Second Team in 2018.

 

A National Honors Society member, Ella plans to study Nursing at SFU. Maillie also played club field hockey for the WC Eagles.
 

Coach Ceretta on Maillie: "Ella is a poised and steady player who will add tremendous depth to our roster.  She has excellent distribution skills and an incredible hockey IQ that will allow us to work the ball up the field with fluidity and speed."

 

Olivia Muffitt (Lancaster, Pa. / Newport)

 

Muffitt lettered in all four years at Newport and registered 35 goals and 26 assists in her career. She helped her team reach the state championship in 2018. Muffitt was named a Tri-Valley League First Team Player in 2017 and 2018. Muffitt also played club at highly-successful Central Penn.

 

Olivia was the Vice President of her school's National Honors Society and plans to complete the Physician Assistant program while at SFU.

 

Coach Ceretta on Muffitt: "Olivia is a gifted, natural athlete.  Her tight fundamental skills paired with her level-headed decision-making skills will be an incredible strength for our 2020 squad."

 

Samantha Murphy, (Camp Hill, Pa. / Cumberland Valley)

 

Murphy was a four-year field hockey letterer and a captain of a Cumberland Valley team that went 13-6-1 in 2019. As a junior in 2018, she received Mid-Penn Commonwealth All-Star First Team recognition and was also named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad.

 

A member of the National Honors Society, Samantha plans to study Physical Therapy at SFU. Murphy also played her club hockey at Central Penn, who has been ranked at least fourth in the state over the past two years and also reached #1 in 2019.

 

Coach Ceretta on Murphy: "Sam is a true competitor who brings a versatile set of skills to our team next fall.  She has a tremendous presence on the field in any position she plays."

 

Veronica Schratz (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Peters Township)

 

Schratz will be joining two of her sisters, Samara and Greta, for the 2020 season. She was most recently part of a Peters Township team that finished the 2018 season with a 12-3-3 record, where she scored 20 goals and six assists. Schratz was named to All-Star teams in 2016 and 2017 and was named to the All-WPIAL team in 2017 and 2018.

A member of the National Honors Society, Nica plans to study Nursing at SFU. Schratz was also a member of the Pittsburgh Venom club field hockey team.

Coach Ceretta on Schratz: "Nica has an aggressive style of play and she is a forward with an uncanny knack for finding the back of the net. She will be the third Schratz sister on our team in 2020, but we have no doubt that she will be able to establish herself as a strong leader both on and off the field."

 

Abigail Tarczynski (Hamburg, Pa. / Lower Dauphin)

Tarczynski is a part of a Lower Dauphin team that is currently 22-0-2 and competing in the PIAA semifinals. She has helped the team reach a #1 state ranking this season. A four-year letterer, Tarczynski has been a part of a program that has only lost 11 matches in the past four years.

Abbe played her club field hockey with the Alley Cats, and plans to study Nursing while at SFU.

Coach Ceretta on Tarczynski: "Abbe's is incredibly composed under pressure, strong on the ball, and consistently performs at an elite level. She has very good defensive tactics that will be a great complement to our current unit."