Goalie Maddy Carpenter selected to U.S. Field Hockey's U17 Squad

Date: 12/21/2009

By Courtney Llewellyn

Reminder Assistant Editor



WILBRAHAM -- She's played everything from soccer, volleyball and basketball to baseball and lacrosse, but only one sport really captured Maddy Carpenter's passion field hockey.

Carpenter, a Wilbraham resident, is a junior at Suffield Academy in Suffield, Conn., who has been playing field hockey since fifth grade. She started her career as a goalie in sixth grade. "Once I actually stepped into the goal I knew this was the sport for me," she said.

Her certainty and dedication have paid off. Carpenter was recently named to the United States Field Hockey Association's Under 17 Squad.

"In order to be selected to the U17 National Training Squad I had to work my way up the ladder," Carpenter explained. "My first step was making it to the National Futures Championship (NFC). Massachusetts has one U16 team that plays in the NFC and I was one of two goalies on that team. From there I was selected for the Junior Olympics, which were held at the University of Iowa. There were eight teams from across the country, and 16 goalies in total."

She added that she was also selected for the Junior National Training Camp that took place at Babson College. "Only four goalies in my age group were selected, and I was one of two goalies selected to the U17 National Squad," she said.

Carpenter was excited when she found out she had been selected for the squad, but also curious about who else had made it.

"Once I found out that three of my close friends had made it, I was ecstatic," she said. "It takes a while for things like this to sink in."

Carpenter has also been invited to the training weekend at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., where she will compete for a spot on the team that will travel to the Pan Am Championships in Montevideo, Uruguay. She said she's "really excited" for the training weekend.

"The level of play will be amazing, and the fact that the Olympians train there is really exciting," Carpenter commented. "I'm not too nervous now, but I know as it gets closer I will get some butterflies in my stomach. Once I step in the net, though, I will be ready to play."

She added that she would love to represent the United States at the Pan Am games, so she's "going to go and play [her] heart out, and whatever happens, happens."

Carpenter said she's already had many amazing experiences playing field hockey, most of which include making life-long friendships. "It is great being able to do what you love, but when you have amazing friends who you can share it with, that's when you know you are truly blessed," she told Reminder Publications.

She added that field hockey as a sport is getting better and more competitive, and that she has aspirations of playing Division I field hockey once she's ready for college.

Maddy is the daughter of Wayne and Cari Carpenter.