Feb. 6, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State field hockey head coach Charlene Morett has announced the 2014 class of signees, which includes five incoming freshmen from four states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Illinois.
The five additions to the 2014 squad are Shay Cannon (Wilmington, Del.), Cori Conley (Oak Park, Ill.), Skyler Fretz (Oley, Pa.), Delani Higgins (Hummelstown, Pa.) and Kasey Morano (Hammonton, N.J.).
SHAY CANNON
Position: Midfield
Hometown: Wilmington, Del.
High School: The Tatnall School
Coach: Jackie Ciconte
Honors & Highlights: Two-year selection on Futures Elite in 2011 and 2012 ... Member of the Futures Elite Championship team in 2012 ... Played in the Junior Olympics in 2011 ... Participated in the National Futures Championships from 2009-2011 ... Lettered for four seasons at the Tatnall School under head coach Jackie Ciconte ... Selected as a team captain as a junior and senior ... Honored as first team All-State as a junior and senior and second team All-State as a freshman and sophomore ... Four-time first team All-Independence Conference selection ... Guided Tatnall to its first Independent Conference title in school history in 2013 ... Reached the state semifinals as a senior ... Received the Team Sportsmanship Award in 2012 ... Played in the Blue-Gold All-Star Game in 2013 ... Played at the club level on X-Calibur FHC ... Helped guide the team to a second place finish at the National Individual Tournament in pool A in 2013 ... Finished second at the National Festival in pool A in 2012 and 2013 ... A member of the National Club Championships U19 second place finisher in 2012 ... Also lettered in lacrosse at Tatnall.
Personal: Full name is Shay Noelle Cannon ... Born on December 22, 1995 in Wilmington, Del. ... Parents are Mark and Patricia Cannon ... Has two brothers, Garrett and Chad ... Father, Mark, played football at the University of Delaware.
Cannon on Penn State: From the moment I stepped on campus, I knew Penn State was the school for me! From the excellent academics to the indescribable school spirit, Penn State embodies my ideal university. I am excited to fulfill my dream and play for this Top-10 program! I look forward to my future as a Nittany Lion!
Morett on Cannon: "Shay impresses you right away with her quick hands and deceptive stick skills. She shows a lot of poise as well as power around the goal cage which makes her an unpredictable scorer. As an attacker, Shay is smart on the defensive side of the play as well and quite often puts strong pressure on opposing defenders. We are excited to watch her develop within our program at Penn State."
Cori Conley |
CORI CONLEY
Position: Midfield
Hometown: Oak Park, Ill.
High School: Oak Park and River Forest
Coach: Lauren Blanco
Honors & Highlights: Selected to the Futures Elite Academy in 2013 and 2014 ... Finished third in the 2012 Junior Olympics ... Played in the National Futures Tournament in 2012 ... Guided her team to a third place finish at the Futures Elite Championship in 2013 ... Four-year letterwinner at Oak Park and River Forest under head coach Lauren Blanco ... Selected as a team captain during senior season ... Named the 2013 Field Hockey Player of the Year for the state of Illinois ... Two-time team MVP winner ... Illinois High School Field Hockey Association All-State selection in 2012 and 2013 ... Played at the club level with Windy City Field Hockey Club ... Led the team to a second place finish in the Mickey Flight at the National Club Championship in 2013 ... Played for Spark Field Hockey Club while living in Maryland in 2010 and played in the National Indoor Tournament with the team.
Personal: Full name is Cori Cierra Conley ... Born on August 16, 1996 in Secaucus, Md. ... Parents are Eric and Janell Conley ... Has two sisters, Cydney and Christen ... Sister, Cydney, plays field hockey at William Smith College.
Conley on Penn State: "I chose Penn State because I really felt at home on campus and I love the atmosphere on campus. I am really excited for the chance to be a part of the Penn State tradition."
Morett on Conley: "Cori brings a quiet presence to her game. She is a very calculating and smooth defender, coming up with tackles and interceptions that look effortless. Her speed is quite noticeable in the open field. Her play is consistently team oriented, as she is a great distributer, especially in scoring situations. We are excited to have the Player of the Year in Illinois join our team here at Penn State."
Skyler Fretz |
SKYLER FRETZ
Position: Midfield/Back
Hometown: Oley, Pa.
High School: Oley Valley
Coach: Tiffany Cappellano
Honors & Highlights: Member of the U.S. U19 Junior National Team ... Selected to Futures Elite Program in 2013 and 2014 ... Invited to the Juniors National Camp in 2013 ... Youth Olympic Games Qualifier in Uruguay in 2014 ... Played in the Junior Olympics in 2012 ... Four-year letterwinner at Oley Valley under head coach Tiffany Cappellano ... Selected as a team captain as a senior ... Two-time first team All-State honoree as a junior and senior ... Named All-County as a junior and senior ... Led her team to the state semifinals in 2013 ... Won three division championships in four seasons ... Played on the club team X-Calibur FHC ... Won a Junior Premier Indoor League title in 2013 ... Claimed the National Indoor Tournament title in 2010 and 2013 ... Was on two Festival championship teams in 2012 and 2013 ... Played in the Canadian Classic in 2013 and 2014 ... Also lettered in basketball and track & field at Oley Valley.
Personal: Full name is Skyler Michaela Fretz ... Born on June 2, 1996 in Pottstown, Pa. ... Parents are G. Dale and Mary Fretz ... Has a sister, Courtney, and a brother, Joshua ... Sister, Courtney, played field hockey at Miami (Ohio) and brother, Joshua, played soccer at Alvernia.
Fretz on Penn State: "The campus felt like a home away from home and I felt very comfortable whenever I would visit. Nothing could compare to Penn State's education and athletic programs. The coaches and the players made me feel completely at home!"
Morett on Fretz: "Skyler has really started to take her game to another level by most recently being selected to the U19 US Fives team which will compete internationally this week in Uruguay. Skyler has excellent vision and a keen game sense, which helps tremendously in transition situations. Her timing on defense is very sharp and executed with both strength and poise. Her international experience will be a positive transition to our program at Penn State."
Delani Higgins |
DELANI HIGGINS
Position: Midfield/Back
Hometown: Hummelstown, Pa.
High School: Lower Dauphin
Coach: Linda Kreiser
Honors & Highlights: Active member of the USA Field Hockey's Futures Program ... Played in the National Futures Championship in 2013 ... Lettered for three years at Lower Dauphin under head coach Linda Kreiser ... Named a team captain as a senior ... Earned All-State honorable mention accolades ... Named Mid Penn All-Star honorable mention ... Helped lead her team to two PIAA AAA State Championship titles, three Keystone Division titles, two PIAA District 3 titles and one Mid Penn Championship title ... Played on club teams X-Calibur FHC and Barracudas ... Played in four National Indoor Tournaments in 2011 and 2012 ... Was Festival Pool A Champions in 2011 ... Won Junior Premier Indoor League Championship in 2013 ... Qualified for National Club Championship in 2013 ... Also lettered in soccer and lacrosse at Lower Dauphin.
Personal: Full name is Delani Laura Higgins ... Born on January 15, 1996 in Harrisburg, Pa. ... Parents are Martin and Jana Higgins ... Has three brothers, Bryan, Zachary and Connor ... Brother, Bryan, played soccer at California University of Pennsylvania.
Higgins on Penn State: "I chose Penn State because of the tradition, the education, and the field hockey family; along with those three components, the atmosphere in Happy Valley truly makes me feel like I belong here."
Morett on Higgins: "Delani is truly a focused competitor. Being an integral member of Lower Dauphins two back-to-back State Championships in '12 and '13, Delani knows how to win. She is a tenacious back who plays with strength and determination. We look for Delani to be a solid defender within the Penn State program."
Kasey Morano |
KASEY MORANO
Position: Forward
Hometown: Hammonton, N.J.
High School: Eastern Regional
Coach: Danyle Heilig
Honors & Highlights: Member of U.S. U17 Junior National Team in 2013 that competed in Holland ... Selected as a Futures Elite Participant in 2012, 2013 and 2014 ... Participated in the National Futures Tournament in 2009, 2010 and 2011 ... Selected to play in the Junior Olympics in 2011 and 2012 ... Lettered for four years at Eastern Regional under head coach Danyle Heilig ... Named a team captain as a senior in 2013 ... Earned first team All-Oympic Conference as a forward in 2012 and 2013 ... Selected as a first team All-South Jersey Forward in 2013 and second team in 2012 ... Named second team All-State as a senior ... Received the 2013 Captains Award from South Jersey Field Hockey Association ... Set the Eastern Area record for goals in a single game with six in 2013 ... Helped her team achieve a record of 103-1-1 over her four seasons ... Member of four Group IV State Championship teams ... Helped win four South Jersey Group IV Championships ... Was a three-time Topofthecircle.com National Champion ... Played at the club level with Spirit of USA ... A member of the gold medal winning team at the National Festival in 2011, 2012 and 2013 ... Claimed the gold medal at the Disney Festival in 2009, while claiming silver in 2010 and 2012.
Personal: Full name is Kasandra Dean Morano ... Born on January 8, 1996 in Vineland, N.J. ... Parents are Greg and Doobie Morano ... Has a sister, Madison, and two brothers, Gregory and Mason ... Brother, Gregory, attends also attends Penn State ... Father, Greg, played football at West Chester ... Mother, Doobie, played field hockey at Lock Haven.
Morano on Penn State: "I chose Penn State because of the academics, the great field hockey program and the comfortable atmosphere. What I like most about Penn State though is how much pride the students and alumni take in their school."
Morett on Morano: "Kasey is a dynamic player who has played a significant role in the success of three New Jersey State Championships for Eastern H.S. Kasey plays with great flair and quickness. She smartly uses her change of speed to eliminate defenders while heading full speed to goal. Kasey is a natural scorer and will certainly be a scoring threat at the collegiate level for Penn State."