Feb. 13, 2008
University Park, Pa. - Two members of the Penn State field hockey team who are also veterans of the U.S. National team programs will continue their international experience in the near future. Senior-to-be Jen Long, who has been a member of the U.S. Under-21 National Team for the last two years, has been invited to train with the U.S. National team this month while Allison Scola, who has also been on the U.S. U-21 National Team for the past two years, has been named to the squad that will travel to Argentina in March for a series of exhibition games.
Long will be training with the U.S. National team in Chula Vista, Calif. this month as the U.S. National team will begin its final preparations for the last remaining qualifying tournaments for this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Last March, Long traveled with the U.S. U-21 team to China along with Scola and Penn State head coach Charlene Morett for a series of exhibitions with a Chinese National team and club teams in China. This past season, Long was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and was also a first team All-American by both the NFHCA and womensfieldhockey.com. She was also a first team All-Mideast Region selection and a first team All-Big Ten selection and was a finalist for the Honda Award for field hockey in helping to lead Penn State to the national championship game. Statistically, she led the Nittany Lions with 12 assists and was a vital cog in Penn State's outstanding defense that carried it all the way to the NCAA final, which included shutouts against a pair of high-powered offenses in Maryland and Wake Forest in the NCAA Tournament.
Jen Long will train with the U.S. National team in Chula Vista, Calif. this month. |
Scola, who also traveling to China last year along with Long and Morett with the U-21 team, will be making another foreign trip with the U-21 team when it goes to Argentina next month for another series of exhibition games. Scola also had a big year for the Nittany Lions in 2007 as she recorded 11 assists, which was second on the team, and had 19 points, which was fourth. She also received several postseason accolades including being named second team All-Big Ten, first team All-Mideast Region by the NFHCA, a third team NFHCA All-American, and a second team All-American by womensfieldhockey.com. Scola was also one of five Nittany Lions, including Long, that were named to the NCAA All-Tournament team.