Six Talented Recruits to Join Temple Field Hockey in 2017

PHILADELPHIA - Temple field hockey head coach Marybeth Freeman has announced the signing of six recruits who will join the Owls beginning in the 2017 season. Taylor Alba (Dallas, Pa./Lake-Lehman), Dani Batze (Eden, Md./Pocomoke), Cristina Carotenuto (Allentown, Pa./Emmaus), Morgan Clark (Wyoming, Pa./Dallas), Mia Sexton (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) and Grace Shanton (Lehighton, Pa./Lehighton Area) have all signed a National Letter of Intent to play for Temple.

Alba is a two-time all-state first team selection out of Lake-Lehman High School where she played for coach Jean Lipski, and the Electric Surge Field Hockey Club for coaches Lunda and Chris Comiskey. She was named a Top 50 player in the Class of 2017 by MAX Field Hockey, and is a two-time first team conference all-star. Alba is an honor roll student who plans to major in business at Temple.

"I chose Temple because of the enthusiastic coaching staff and players," said Alba, "and the campus made me feel so at home. Also, Temple's Fox School of Business will help prepare me for my future after college."

Freeman on Alba: "Taylor's game sense and strong technical skills will make her an impact player from day one. Her ability to understand and strategize the game will allow our team to roll in and out of various playing formations and implement different hockey concepts."

Batze is a four-year varsity starter for Pocomoke High School and coach Brandi Castaneda, while also playing for the Oranje Gotta Love It Field Hockey Club and coach Kathleen Fluharty. She was named to the all-state first team in 2015, and is a two-time first team all-conference selection as well. Batze was a National Future Championship player in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and was a Junior Olympian in 2014 and 2015. She also was named to Max Field Hockey's Top 2017 list of recruits. Off the field, she is a member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta while also serving as Class Treasurer.

"I choose Temple because it was the right fit for me academically and athletically," said Batze. "I fell in love with the location in Philadelphia along with the great education and strong field hockey program it offers."

Freeman on Batze: "Dani is a gamer, through and through. The tenacity she exhibits on the field pushes those around her to be better and will make her a clear threat to the opposition. Her strength on the ball and power in her tackling will give us advantages on both the attack and defensive side of the ball."

Carotenuto plays for the WC Eagles Club Team for coaches Jun and Richard Kentwell. Carotenuto was a National Futures Championship player from 2012-15. Off the field, she is a four-year honor roll student, member of the Spanish Honor Society, and was named the Mukhal Gupta Student of the Year in 2012. Carotenuto plans to major in biomedical engineering at Temple.

"I choose Temple because I wanted a school where I could play at a high Division I level while getting an amazing education," said Carotenuto, "and I wanted a team where all the players are close-knit and the girls were above and beyond. I also loved that it was only an hour away from home so I can be a short ride away."

Freeman on Carotenuto: "Cristina is a tremendous goalkeeper who is powerful in her skill execution and knowledgeable about team defense. She organizes well, explodes when covering the goal and has a great second effort on the ball. I'm excited to work with Cristina and have her impact our program in a positive way."

Clark is a four-year varsity letterwinner who currently plays for Dallas High School and coach Kylie Fisher as well as the X-Calibur Field Hockey Club for coach Tiffany Cappellano. She serves as the team captain for Dallas as well as for X-Calibur's indoor team. Clark is extremely accomplished off the field, earning numerous academic honors including a Certificate of Achievement from the House of Representatives for the National Academic Squad Program in 2016. She was selected for the National Youth Leadership Award for STEM in Washington, D.C. and earned four awards including a first-place honor and the Morris Award of Excellence at the Suzanne Maria Rossetti Memorial Juried Art Competition in 2015. Clark plans to major in criminal justice at Temple.

"I decided to attend Temple because of the beautiful campus and the excellent academic programs," said Clark, "as well as for the enthusiastic coaching staff that I would have the opportunity to learn from and grow as not only a field hockey player, but as a person."

Freeman on Clark: "Morgan's passion for Temple and her drive to excel within our hockey community is fantastic. On the field, she communicates and works collectively between the lines, and off the field she is driven academically. We're looking forward to having Morgan be a part of our Temple family."

Sexton is a four-year varsity letterwinner and current team captain for Neshaminy High School and coach Jamie Pinto, and also plays for Mystx Field Hockey Club and coach Tina Reinprecht. She was a second team all-league selection as a junior, and made the Bucks County Courier Times Top Goal Leaders list in both 2015 and 2016. Off the field, Sexton is a distinguished honor roll student and enrolled in all AP and honors classes at Neshaminy. Sexton plans to major in business at Temple.

"Temple offers everything I was looking for from a college - excellence in academics and athletics," said Sexton. "Plus, I grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs and I love Philadelphia, and that's where I wanted to be. Every time I step on Temple's campus I feel proud, and I can feel all of the excitement and energy that Temple exudes!"

Freeman on Sexton: "Mia is incredibly fast and creative with the ball. She has a natural ability to find the back of the net and is instinctual when covering space on the press. Her elimination skills are strong and her speed of execution when shooting is highly threatening. I know she will be a strong contributor in 2017."

Shanton is a team captain and 2015 Team MVP for Lehighton Area High School and coaches Karen Wall, Abby Frey and Corinne McConville. She also plays for the Mystic Hockey Club and coach Phil Danaher. Shanton has been named to the Principal's List all three years of her high school career, and is a four-year choir and show choir member while currently serving as the Choir President. While at Temple, Shanton plans to major in biochemistry.

"I chose Temple because I know it will help take me to the next level in my academic career and hopefully help me become a successful member of society," said Shanton. "Temple takes such great pride in its students and I wanted to be a part of that. I also love that Temple's student-athletes are so proud to be Owls, and the coaching staff was a big factor in my decision. The energy on the team is extremely positive and the team members are so accepting and welcoming."

Freeman on Shanton: "Grace is a very versatile player. Her strong skill sets of passing and receiving combined with her high hockey IQ and work ethic is what we want here at Temple. She's a worker, she's selfless and she encompasses the values we want our players to have as a part of our program. We're excited about Grace!"

Temple University Athletics

Six Talented Recruits to Join Temple Field Hockey in 2017

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