Missouri State field hockey head coach Dawn Callahan announced that eight incoming freshman will join the 2008 team. Californians Kristen Pettey, Lauren Sawvelle and Ramie Masters, Illinois native Jenna Compton, Ohio native Mackenzie Crawford and three St. Louis area players, Lori Sinclair, Kelsey Lomax and Taylor Stellern, will be new faces to the Bears' program in the 2008 season.
San Diego, Calif., natives Pettey and Sawvelle reunite with Scripps Ranch High teammate and current Bear Sarah Cusick in the fall. As a senior, Pettey led the Falcons with 19 assists, scored 18 goals and helped her squad capture back-to-back Western League Championships. Between the pipes, Sawvelle helped her team earn the 2007 California Interscholastic Federation championship title, finishing 21-4 on the season.
Masters comes to the Bears after a stellar season at Huntington Beach (Calif.) High in 2007. The midfielder helped the Oilers to an undefeated record and the Sunset League and California Interscholastic Federation championships. Masters was also named Sunset League Player of the Year and to the Western Regional field hockey team.
Masters is the daughter of Melinda Amy Masters who played for the Bears' under Missouri State Athletics Hall of Fame coach Dr. Rhonda Ridinger in the 1981 and 1982 seasons.
Hailing from Glen Carbon, Ill., Compton helped the Edwardsville High Tigers to a 13-8 record her senior season. She was also named to the all-metro and MWAA second team as a senior. Compton also played for Missouri State Atheltics Hall of Fame member Kelly Stuckel Yates on the club team Team Gateway for three seasons, playing in three national field hockey festivals.
Crawford, a goalkeeper hailing from Westerville, Ohio, helped get the Bishop Watterson Eagles to the state championship game with a 95 percent save average and only 12 goals against, ending her year as team captain at 14-6-1. Crawford earned second team all-league honors by the Ohio Field Hockey League.
As a four-year starter at Cor Jesu Academy, Sinclair helped the Chargers to a 17-1 season last fall. She was also named to the second team all-conference and all-metro squads and competed in the senior metro all-star game. Sinclair also played for Yate's club field hockey team Team Gateway for three seasons, with three appearences in national field hockey festivals and a 2007 appearence in the Disney Showcase on the U-19 Team Gateway.
Lomax, born in Pretoria, South Africa, comes to the Bears after two years at Fort Zumwalt West High School and Lomax played for two years on the U-19 AIM St. Louis club field hockey team. Before moving to the States with her family, she played on the Rustenburg Girls High team in Cape Town, South Africa,where she was named to the provincal field hockey team.
Stellern is another Yates product, via Lafayette High School. As a senior, she was named to the first team all-conference for her part in helping the Lancers to the Public School championships for the third year in a row. Stellern also participated in the USA Futures program in the 2005-06, and participated in the 2007 Futures Regional tournament.
The Bears graduated four seniors, including two-time NCAA statistcal leader Kim Kinsella. The team finished the season at 1-9 in the Mid-American Conference and 5-13 overall in 2007.
