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August 6, 2003

Maureen Daniel

Shannon Goans

WASHINGTON — Sophomores Maureen Daniel (Clifton, Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) and Shannon Goans (Ellicott City, Md./River Hill) took one more step towards the U.S. National Field Hockey Team when they earned spots to B Camp in June.

Daniel and Goans are among the first AU student-athletes ever to be named to B Camp. The two attended Super Camp June 12-15 at Babson College in Babson Park, Mass. and were among the 103 athletes to advance. Goans described the experience as a camp with two different goals; those who were totally focused on making A Camp and those who were there for the experience and to improve their skills.

“It was a good exprience to compete and I want to go back and try to get selected (next year),” said Goans. “We wanted to get our name (AU) out there and show we’re a good team.”

Last month at B Camp (July 21-25), Daniel and Goans played three sessions a day at Penn State under the direction of Olympian and U.S. Field Hockey assistant coach Andrew Griffiths. At PSU, they spent a week of intensive competition, skills training and anaylsis of international tactics and strategies. Athletes from B Camp can be selected for A Camp to be held in February 2004, which earns them a chance at National Trials for the U.S. National Team.

“They’ve been able to grow a lot this summer,” said Head Coach Steve Jennings, a 1996 Olympian. “They will be able to give a lot to the team.”

The Eagles have been active outside the U.S. as incoming player Javiera Villagra (Santiago, Chile/Santiago College) has been the starting midfielder for Chile at the Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic. In a key 3-1 win over Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday, Villagra scored two goals as her team is currently tied for first in her pool.

“She’s going to be a great distributor for us,” said Jennings. “She has good dribbling skills, she’s plays on the corner and she’ll be a great all-around player for us.”

American University, which fields a 19-sport NCAA Division I athletics program featuring 10 women’s sports and nine for men, recently completed its second year of membership in the Patriot League. Since joining the Patriot League, the University has captured league championships in men’s cross country, women’s cross country, women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball, and a regular-season title in men’s basketball.

Chartered by an Act of Congress in 1893, American University features students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 160 nations worldwide.