VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. ? Senior Christina Boarman is hitting the turf this week as she participates in the USA Field Hockey National Championship in Virginia Beach as a member of the Mid-Atlantic Regional team. Joining Boarman on the Mid-Atlantic squad is the Tigers' new assistant coach Meredith Long.
The USA Field Hockey National Championship is held in conjunction with the National Futures Championship at the National Training Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The tournament is played in round-robin format and features top performers from the USA Field Hockey's six regional High Performance Centers.
In the beginning of the spring, the High Performance Centers in the New England, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Midwest, South and California regions hold tryouts for college-age athletes and older. When an athlete is selected to one of the centers they receive elite-level training from some of the top coaches in the nation throughout the spring.
At the conclusion of the program, each center selects a team to compete at the national championship. Athletes competing in the tournament have a chance to be selected for the U.S. National Squad. Rosters at the event include current members of the national squad along with players who earned collegiate All-American status.
Boarman, who was a First Team All-CAA selection last year, enters her final season with the Tigers already holding the school record for goals in a season (20), points in a season (55) and assists in a career (29). She is just five goals away from breaking the career goals (44) record and three points from breaking the career points (111) record at Towson.
Long begins her first season as an assistant with the Tigers in the fall after serving as the assistant coach at Vermont for the last three years.
Boarman, Long and the Tigers open the 2009 season on August 28 at the University of California.
