Wake Forest Athletics
Field Hockey Signs Five for 2006-07
3/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
March 15, 2006
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest field hockey program has announced the signing of five athletes for the 2006-07 squad, head coach Jennifer Averill confirmed today. The Demon Deacons will welcome Regina Shannon, Melissa Martin, Kim Romansky, Hilary Moore and Aileen Davis.
"This group is rich in talent and personality," Averill said. "They embody the spirit of Wake Forest field hockey and I look forward to their contributions as student-athletes. I have faith in their ability to keep up the strong tradition of Wake Forest hockey."
Martin joins the Wake Forest squad after a successful high school career at Manheim Township. A second team All-American and a national indoor squad alternate, Martin participated in the National Futures Tournament and was selected to the B-camp in her sophomore season and to the A-camp in her junior year.
Playing club hockey for the Mystx, Moore helped lead the team to the National Festival Championship in 2005 and 2003 and the National Indoor Tournament championship in 2003. Excelling in the classroom as well, Martin is the National Honor Society president, the student council historian, a 2005 Academic All-State selection and a 2005 Academic All-League selection.
"Melissa is a very versatile player. She has a great game sense and a great defensive presence on the field. She has proven she can play back and midfield and is ready for this level," Averill said. "One of the best things about Melissa is that she really enjoys to compete. She has a tremendous amount of passion for the game and I believe she will make a significant contribution as a freshman. "
Shannon, a native of West Chester, Pa, is an Under-16 National Team selection and played center midfield on the National Team Holland tour in 2004. A Junior Olympic qualifier, Shannon has also participated in the Futures Elite program for the past five years, where she helped lead her team to a second place finish at the Big Apple Tournament and the Canadian Indoor Invitational.
In addition, the team finished third at the Under-19 NIT C-pool and at the National Festival A-pool. Off the field, Shannon was recognized as an AP scholar with distinguished honors. She placed eighth at the regional National Spanish Contest in 2003, in addition to receiving the American Chemistry Society Award.
"Creative is a good word to describe Gina's style of play," Averill said. "She has a unique, three dimensional style and she will be another impact player for us. She is a midfielder who is a great distributor and we will look for her to generate the attack through the middle."
Romansky comes to Wake Forest via Villa Maria Academy, in Malvern, Pa. Playing under Maurene Polley, Romansky is a two-time all-state and all-area selection and was named the Main Line Player of the Year and the Daily Local Player of the Year in her senior season. In 2005 she helped lead the Hurricanes to a District One championship and to the state semifinals. Playing club hockey for just one season, Romansky and the W.C. Eagles U19 team qualified for U19 National Indoor Tournament 2006 and also won the Keystone Games Women's Open Division.
"Kim is a great all-around athlete and a very versatile player," said Averill. "She will see playing time on the front line. She is quick and agile, which contributes to her finesse as a player."
Moore hails from Martinsville, Va., where she earned four letters in field hockey, five in soccer and one in basketball. On the hockey field, Moore led the team to three straight Blue Ridge Conference Championships and to a state championship in 2004. Named All-Conference for three seasons, she was also selected each year to the All-State Tournament team and to the Virginia Independent School All-State team in 2004 and 2005. Playing on the National Futures team from 2003-05 and the elite team from 2004-06, she was also a member of the AAU Jr. Olympic team in 2005. A member of the National Honor Society, Moore was also a selection to the Trustee's List.
"I've had the chance to watch Hilary develop for the past six or seven years and I am proud to have her as a part of this program," said Averill. "She has great hands and I think the combination of hockey and soccer helped with her development of the game. She has off the ball awareness and is a very finesse player. She will look to come in and play for us in the midfield and up front."
Aileen Davis joins the Demon Deacons as only international player in the recruiting class. Playing central midfield for Millfield School in Somerset, England, Davis was the captain of the 2006 National Outdoor runner-ups and the International Hockey Festival champions. Playing for the Scotland U18 team in 2004-05, she helped lead them to the European Championship where they won and gained promotion to the top group. Academically, Davis was a earned three Headmasters Commendations for Work and was was invited to the Academic Society and was a senior prefect.
"Aileen is a very accomplished player having played internationally for the Millfield School and for Scotland," Averill said. "Offensively she is a very experienced player and her strengths lie in her distribution and agility."
