June 23, 2008

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Providence College Head Field Hockey coach Diane Madl (Mountaintop, Pa.) and junior forward Nellie Poulin (Oakland, Maine) recently took part in the USA Field Hockey Women's National Championship in Virginia Beach, Va., held June 13-21. Poulin was one of 18 players to earn a spot on the New England roster, while Madl served as an assistant coach. On June 21, Team New England captured the National Championship with a 3-0 victory over Team Midwest. Poulin notched two goals in the tournament, including one tally in the championship game.

New England finished pool play with a 3-2 record and recorded nine points to advance to the championship game against Team Midwest, which posted a 3-1-1 mark in pool play. New England fell to Midwest, 1-0, earlier in the week during pool play, but would avenge that loss to claim the National Championship.

Held in conjunction with the National Futures Championship, the USA Field Hockey Women's National Championship is a round-robin tournament featuring the top athletes from USA Field Hockey's six regional High Performance Training Centers. Beginning in the early spring, High Performance Centers serving the New England, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Midwest, South and California regions conduct open trials for college-age and older athletes. Once selected to a High Performance Center, athletes receive elite-level training from some of the Nation's top coaches over the course of the spring.

At the conclusion of the program, each High Performance Center selects a team to represent its region at the National Championships. Athletes competing in the tournament have the opportunity for selection to the U.S. National Squad.

Poulin will return to the Providence College field hockey team for her third season this fall (2008). During each of the last two seasons, Poulin has finished second among her teammates in scoring with a total of 47 points on 19 goals and nine assists. She earned All-BIG EAST First Team and NFHCA Division I All-Northeast Region First Team honors in 2007. The Friars have posted a 32-12 overall record during Poulin's tenure on the team, including a 9-3 mark in the BIG EAST Conference. Providence has qualified for the BIG EAST Tournament during each of her two seasons, and have finished each of those campaigns ranked in the NFHCA Division I National Coaches' Poll. In 2006, Providence claimed a share of the BIG EAST Regular-Season title. That same year, Madl was named BIG EAST Conference and NFHCA Division I Northeast Region Coach of the Year.

The Friars open the 2008 schedule with two games in Charlottesville, Va. against William & Mary (August 30) and Virginia (August 31).

- GO FRIARS! -