Feb. 3, 2010

OXFORD, Ohio - Miami University head field hockey coach Jill Reeve announced Wednesday the signing of six future RedHawks to National Letters of Intent. Jordan Long (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster), Kelsey Lund (West Vancouver, British Columbia/Collingwood), Sid Marcum (Anchorage, Ky./Sacred Heart Academy), Sarah Müeller (Berlin, Germany/Werner-von-Siemens-Gymnasium), Tori Nuccio (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Liberty) and Heather Schneider (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) have all decided to continue their field hockey careers at Miami University.

“I couldn’t be more proud and excited to announce this year’s class,” said Reeve. “This group of talented young athletes has the experience, dedication and ability to take our program to the next level. Not only are they fantastic field hockey players, they are also respected leaders and have the personalities that will complement our current squad.”

Long is a four-year letterwinner for Lampeter-Strasburg High School where she played in the midfield. She was named Second Team All-State Pennsylvania in both 2008 and 2009. The two-year team captain and MVP recorded 29 goals and 50 assists in her four-year career for the Pioneers.

“Jordan is a strong formidable athlete,” said Reeve. “She has so much potential. She’s a complete player who can defend and attack with equal power.”

Lund was a five-year letterwinner (high school is five years long in Canada) for Colllingwood. She led the team to a Provincial Championship in 2008 and a runner-up finish in 2009. The Cavs were ranked the top AA team in British Columbia the past two seasons. Lund also her U16 team to regional championships in 2007 and 2008. She recorded 25 goals in 18 games last season and is a dangerous threat in the offensive circle creating either a shot or a penalty corner opportunity 90 percent of the time.

“Kelsey is natural,” said Reeve. “She has deft hands and the ability to cut through another team with her elimination skills. Her attacking mentality and nose for the goal make her very dangerous.”

Marcum is the younger sister of 2009 senior Maggie Marcum. She spent the past four years playing both midfield and defensive back for Sacred Heart Academy. As a junior, she led the 2008 team to a 29-0 record, a Kentucky State Championship and a number one national ranking. Marcum was named First Team All-Tournament in Kentucky in both 2008 and 2009, as well as First Team All-District in 2009. She led her U16 team in a National Futures Championship in 2008 and participated on the USFH Futures Region 9 team in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

“I appreciate Sid’s calming effect on the field as she organizes and manages dangerous situations with poise,” said Reeve. “Her innate ability to be in the right place at the right time is hard to come by in this game and Sid possesses this unique talent. I expect that she will strengthen our backfield next season.”

Müeller comes from Germany where she is a member of the German extended U21 national team squad. She spent 2007-08 as part of the Olympic Development Program of Germany. Müeller led her club team Zehlendorf 88 Berlin to a third place finish in 2009 in the Regionalliga league.

“Sarah is a tiger in the cage,” said Reeve. “She has a unique style that will complement our defense. She has been competing at the highest level in Germany and comes to us with tremendous experience.”

Nuccio played all three positions as a three-year letterwinner at Jackson Liberty High School. As a senior in 2009, she was named Third Team All-New Jersey after scoring 14 goals and nine assists, and leading the Lions to a 12-2-6 overall record. She recorded 37 goals and 20 assists during her high school career.

“Tori is a talented athlete with a tenacious demeanor,” said Reeve. “Her field awareness and distribution skills are outstanding. I believe she will make an immediate impact in our midfield.”

Schneider was a three-year starting goalkeeper for Edwardsville High School. She was named Team MVP in 2009 after leading the entire area in saves with 229. She had a save percentage of 91 percent as a senior. For her effort, Schneider was named First Team All-MAAC Conference. She played for Team Gateway throughout the past two seasons and played at Festival in 2009 with Team AIM.

“Heather has tons of raw potential,” said Reeve. “I’m so excited about what she will offer our team from the goal cage. She’s an excellent communicator and plays courageously in the net.”

The RedHawks went 13-10 in 2009 and made it to the MAC Championship game. These six scholarship recruits will join 13 returning players to make up the 2010 squad.

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