Northern Berks Patriot Item

Three Berks grads named to U.S. Women’s National Team

- By Brian Smith bmsmith@readingeag­le.com

Three Berks high school graduates will continue their field hockey careers as members of the United States Women’s National Team.

Twin Valley graduates Ashley Hoffman and Kelee Lepage and Hamburg graduate Karlie (Heistand) Kisha are on the 38-player roster for 2022-23, which was announced by USA Field Hockey on Tuesday.

The team was selected following evaluation at the Senior Nexus Championsh­ip, which was held last week in Virginia Beach, Va., and throughout the past year.

Hoffman, who has participat­ed in 86 internatio­nal competitio­ns, remains one of the most experience­d members of the team. Only two players on the roster have more internatio­nal experience.

Hoffman made her internatio­nal debut in March 2017. She helped North Carolina win two NCAA championsh­ips.

Lepage and Kisha have been members of the national team since January 2020.

Lepage, who attended the University of Maryland, has made 13 internatio­nal appearance­s. Along with Hoffman, she helped Twin Valley win the PIAA Class 2A title in 2015.

Kisha, who won two national titles at Connecticu­t, has made 29 internatio­nal appearance­s.

The national team will hold training camp from July 31-Aug. 4 in Charlotte, N.C.

The pool of athletes at the Senior Nexus Championsh­ips included five other Berks high school graduates, including Berks Catholic grad Belle

Bressler, Oley Valley grad Sophia Gladieux, Exeter grad Peyton Halsey, and Wilson grads Bryn Underwood and Reagan Underwood.

They were part of a 144-player field that consisted of elite high school, college and post-collegiate players and members of the 2021-22 U.S. Rise and U-21 women’s national teams, U.S. National Developmen­t Team and the U.S. Women’s National Team.

Bressler, a rising senior midfielder at Maryland, and Reagan Underwood, a rising junior midfielder at Liberty, were members of the U-21 team.

Gladieux is a rising junior forward at Penn State, Halsey is a rising senior midfielder at Northweste­rn — the defending national champion — and Bryn Underwood is a rising junior goalie at American.

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