Field Hockey Adds Six For 2014

Pacific Field Hockey has added six to its 2014 squad during the national signing period, Head Coach Andy Smith announced today. The Tigers will welcome a global class, as student-athletes from the United States will join with student-athletes from South Africa, Spain and Canada.

Savannah Burns (Somerset West, South Africa), Bryanna Flanagan (Oceanside, Calif.), Allie Konkol (Denver, Colo.), Emma Leach (Gilroy, Calif.), Hannah Tvergyak (Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada) and Cristina Castella (Terrassa, Spain) will join the Tigers as freshman in the fall of 2014.

Burns, a midfielder from Somerset College in the Western Cape province of South Africa, has played field hockey at both the school and provincial levels, tallying 23 goals for Somerset in route to a championship in the International Brothers Festival in 2013 and a 3rd place finish in all of South Africa. In provincial competition, Burns was a member of the Boland U18 team which won the interprovincial tournament. She was selected for the South African U16 squad in 2011 as well as the U18 squad in 2012 and 2013.

Smith said of Burns, "Savannah is someone who came to us thanks to a contact with the South African Hockey Association. She is an extremely versatile player with great skills and the ability to score from both sides of her body."

Flanagan, a forward and midfielder from Vista High School, was was a 2013 1st team All Avocado East League Selection in addition to a 2nd team All-CIF selection, leading the Panthers to a 17-7 record. In her high school tenure, she posted a total of 43 goals and 31 assists.  Flanagan was teammates with current Pacific midfielder Katherine Egan at Vista.

Smith called Flanagan "an excellent forward that we have been interested in since the last summer at the California Cup. She brings great awareness and vision to the team, along with the skills and athleticism necessary to excel at the highest level."

Konkol, a midfielder and forward from Denver's East High School, will come to Pacific after finishing her career as captain of the Angels. In 2013, she was named to a second consecutive All-Colorado honorable mention as a senior, to follow up a 2012 All-Colorado honorable mention selection in her first year of captaincy.  Konkol was a three sport athlete, also earning 2013 All-Metro League honorable mention honors in Lacrosse and leading the Angels swim team as captain.

Smith described Konkol as "a player with an abundance of athletic potential. She committed to Pacific after we saw her at a camp in Colorado last summer. She is a natural talent who will be an integral part of our team as we enter a new era."

Leach, a defender and midfielder from Gilroy High School, captained the Mustangs to a 13-3-2 record in 2013. She was a Blossom Valley Athletic League All-First Team selection following the 2011 and 2012 seasons. In club competition, Leach was part of the Gilroy Infinity. The team took part in the National Futures Championships in 2012 and also won its pool at the National Festival in 2012 in Palm Beach, Fla.

Smith noted, "Emma was the first player to commit to Pacific after I took over the Head Coach position. She attended Gilroy High School, the same high school as current assistant Laura Spellman. She has shown exceptional prowess on the defensive end of the field and we will be looking for her to make an immediate contribution defensively."

Tyergvak, a midfielder from Coquitlam, British Columbia was the Academic Athlete of the Year at Gleneagle Secondary  before transferring to South Delta Secondary for the 2013-14 school year. She won the 2013 and 2012 U18 British Columbia club championships in addition to the U16 title in 2010 with the West Vancouver Field Hockey Club, the largest club in North America. She also has three years of experience a the provincial level for Field Hockey B.C.'s youth teams.

Smith said that, "Hannah is a player we knew we wanted in the program after we saw her play at the California Cup. She is an accomplished talent with the potential to thrive at the highest level. We expect that she will immediately challenge for a spot in the midfield."

Castella, a defender and midfielder from Terrassa, Spain, has played for twelve years with Atletic Terrassa Hockey Club, most recently on the first team. In addition, she saw time on the U18 Spanish National team in the Four Nations tournament and the European Championships, earning Best Defender honors in the Four Nations.

Smith said "Cristina comes to Pacific from Spain, she is an extremely talented defender and will add a new dimension to our backfield. She has a wealth of international experience and that will give us an edge the moment she steps on campus."

Smith believes this class has great potential.

"We are thrilled about the 2014 class. We have looked across the globe to find the best possible players and believe this class is special. We cannot wait to welcome these six student-athletes to Pacific, and hopefully add a couple more before the fall semester starts in August."