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Lakeland field hockey duo D1-bound
Isaac Cass
SHRUB OAK, N.Y. – Emma Bozek and Shannon Scavelli have accomplished everything a high school field hockey player could dream of. The sensational seniors have helped the Hornets win three-straight state titles as well as garnering numerous individual awards such as being named All-Americans.
Now, they will go their separate ways and continue their field hockey careers at the college level.
Bozek will be playing at the University of North Carolina, while Scavelli is heading for the University of Michigan. Both players will sign National Letters of Intent this morning at Lakeland High School.
“Everyone had told me that when you go on a campus and it’s the right choice for you, you’re going to get a gut feeling and it’s just going to tell you this is the place to be,” Bozek said. “That’s the feeling I got when I stepped onto North Carolina’s campus. Right away I knew that’s where I wanted to go to college.”
Scavelli, a forward, finished her career as the all-time leading scorer in Lakeland history with 135 goals. As a senior, she led Section 1 in scoring and set a single season record at Lakeland with 48 goals.
“It really came down to academics and athletics,” said Scavelli, who also looked at Columbia, Syracuse, Northeastern and Louisville. “Academics are very important to me. To find a school that had a balance of both was critical. Michigan just really had everything – the atmosphere, the team and the coaches. When I went there I just fell in love with the school. It was a perfect fit for me.”
Seeing her sister Stephanie play field hockey in high school and at Providence College motivated Scavelli to do the same.
“Ever since I stepped into high school I knew I loved the sport and would want to continue it further,” Scavelli said.
Bozek led Section 1 in points as a senior with 76 (40 goals, 36 assists). She was named MSG Varsity’s Player of the Year. Her stick skills were second to none and she created so many scoring opportunities for the Hornets.
“I’m hoping that I can just work really hard my freshman year (at North Carolina) because I know that it’s a very tough program, especially to get into as a freshman,” said Bozek, who also looked at Connecticut, Syracuse and Princeton. “In the month of August I’m looking to really work hard and hopefully find minutes on the field.”
Follow Rob DiAntonio on Twitter @MSGV_RJD
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