As Cornell field hockey prepares for a potential return to play in the fall, the team has announced the addition of six incoming members as part of the Class of 2025.
The team currently has six seniors listed on the roster, and at this time, it is unclear if any of these student-athletes will exercise the new waiver granted by the Ivy League and compete as graduate student-athletes next season.
Whether or not these seniors depart, head coach Andy Smith said he is very pleased with the new recruiting class.
“We are incredibly satisfied with the recruiting we have done for 2021,” Smith told Cornell Athletics. “This group has the ability to be on the field from the minute they walk on campus and will push the incredibly talented and motivated group we already have to be better as we look to challenge for honors in 2021 and beyond.”
First among the new recruits is Nia Butler. A graduate of The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut and two-year captain of the school’s field hockey team, Butler led her squad to victory in two league championships.
“[Butler] is fast, feisty, single-minded and a real challenge to play against,” Smith said. “She is someone that will bring a new dimension to our game and we are so happy that she chose to come to Cornell.”
Hanke Govaert was ranked as one of the top 50 prospects in the nation in 2019, a distinction that was achieved after a highly successful career at Connecticut’s Sacred Heart Greenwich. During the 2019 season, she led her team to its first Class A title in program history, notching 11 goals and five assists along the way.
Hailing from Rumson, New Jersey, Meadow Maguire initially committed to Princeton in summer 2019, but she later decommitted and instead became a member in Cornell’s Class of 2025.
A two-time all-state selection out of Rumson-Fair Haven High School, Maguire figures to be an integral component in Cornell’s future.
“[Maguire] has all the traits necessary to be a top-level player and is someone who will bring a new level of firepower to our team,” Smith said. “She is just as comfortable scoring goals as she is creating for her teammates and will be a wonderful addition to everything we do.”
Sarah Rogalski is another accomplished student-athlete to join Cornell’s ranks. Originally from Wayne, Pennsylvania, Rogalski helped push Conestoga High School to a state quarterfinal finish in 2018. She later wrapped up her high school career at The Hill School, clinching a second-place finish at states.
Ella Singer, who was raised in Short Hills, New Jersey, will bring a strong tenacity to the team next season. In addition to running track for four seasons, Singer also led her team at Morristown-Beard School to two New Jersey state titles while accumulating numerous accolades.
“I joked with her during the recruiting process that one of the things I appreciated about her was that she could start a fight in an empty room,’” Smith said. “She has that level of determination and competitiveness and we look forward to developing her over the next four years and watching her grow.”
The final member of the class is Gabby Volpe, also hailing from New Jersey. Volpe attended Oak Knoll School, which captured the national championship in 2019. While attending Oak Knoll, Volpe was a part of one of the most dominant teams in the country. During her junior season, Volpe helped lead the team to a perfect 23-0 record that saw Oak Knoll outscore its opponents, 154-7.
During Smith’s first season at the helm in 2019, he doubled the team’s win count from the prior season, finishing with a 10-7 record and a 4-3 mark in conference play. With a skilled group of freshmen slated to join the team, Smith and Co. hope to continue the team’s upward trajectory.