June 1, 2016

2016 Schedule | Follow @MSUBearsFhockey

SPRINGFIELD - First-year Missouri State field hockey head coach Catherine Ostoich announced her inaugural recruiting class Wednesday (June 1) with six student-athletes signing National Letters of Intent to join the field hockey program beginning in the fall of 2016.

"I'm really excited for this class because of their passion, enthusiasm and dedication to the game which will work well with our team culture and commitment to success," Ostoich said. "I think they'll really challenge the current team and raise our level of play."

Three forwards, a defender and two athletes that can play multiple positions, are set to join the Bears under the direction of Ostoich in her first season. Three signees - Kathryn Mirbaha, Miranda Sherman and Lizzie Slinkard - hail from the St. Louis area. Beth Corish and Marina Ellison are natives of Duncan, British Columbia, and Sara O'Malley joins Missouri State from Freehold Township High School in New Jersey.

Beth Corish, F, 5-5, Fr., Duncan, B.C., Canada (Cowichan Secondary)

Corish played three years for the Cowichan Secondary School Thunderbirds, starting every game her final two years on the squad. A captain as a senior, Corish was also named BC Local News' Field Hockey Sports Person of the Year. The Duncan, British Columbia, native helped continue the Thunderbirds' success at their conference and district level, earning a second place Island Championship finish and third place Bridgeman Cup finish. Previously, Corish was a member of Cowichan squads that won both the Island Championship two times and the Bridgeman Cup as a junior. She also got runner-up, fourth and ninth in consecutive years at the Province level. A Junior Athlete of the Year nominee in 2013, Corish participated that year for the second of two seasons in soccer and also competed previously in track and field.

"It was great to add an international athlete like Beth to our team," Ostoich said. "She has some really nice, tight stick skills and her aggression is unmatchable. She really works to create opportunities for her teammates in the attacking zone, which I think will be huge for our team this fall."

Marina Ellison, F/MF, Fr., Duncan, B.C., Canada (Frances Kelsey Secondary)

Ellison was selected to play for the British Columbia select provincial team after her senior season at Frances Kelsey Secondary School in Milly Bay, B.C. She will represent her home province at the Canadian National Tournament in Toronto this July. She was team captain for her final prep season and helped lead Kelsey to a record sixth-place finish in the 18-team division. Her junior season, she was ranked as one of the top 10 female athletes in Duncan and was top scorer and player of the game twice in the Webber Challenge event. She was also part of a provincial select team that finished third at nationals her sophomore year and earned her squad's rookie of the year honors as a freshman. The Russian-born standout also participated in distance events for the track team her first two years of high school.

"I'm excited to bring in another international player, especially one that really knows the game like Marina," Ostoich said. "You can tell by her stick skills and her passing ability that she really understands the game. I expect her to bring that knowledge to our current team members and challenge the level of play this fall.

Sara O'Malley, 5-6, MF/D, Fr., Freehold, N.J. (Freehold Township High)

O'Malley finished her prep career for Freehold Township High School as a four-year starter and letterwinner for the Patriots. She scored a career-high 10 goals and registered nine assists as a senior, helping lead her high school squad to its third NJSIAA Central Group 4 Section Championship in four years. O'Malley served as team captain and was selected as the team's MVP as a senior, while she was also recognized as a Shore Conference All-Star and was named to the Class North All-Division Team. She started and played in all 43 games over the course of her final two seasons for a Freehold Township team that accumulated a 29-9-5 mark over that span. She added nine goals and five assists to her career mark as a junior. She was named by NJ.com as a 'Key Contributer and Player to Watch' heading into her senior year, while she also earned a 'Most Dedicated Player' award and Elite Invitational All-Star recognition as a junior. O'Malley also participated in the USA Field Hockey Futures program, played for the club team Jersey Intensity and was a member of her high school's lacrosse team for two seasons.

"I'm really excited about Sara joining our program," Ostoich said. "She has an eye for the game and is really good at causing trouble for attackers. I really expect her to make an impact right away, and I'm looking forward to seeing her skills and knowledge transfer over to the college game."

Kathryn Mirbaha, 5-8, F, Fr., St. Louis, Mo. (Cor Jesu Academy)

Mirbaha was a three-year letterwinner and played for years for the Cor Jesu Academy Chargers in St. Louis, Missouri. Mirbaha was a member of a team that went a combined 31-10-1 during her junior and senior seasons. Mirbaha helped lead the Chargers to runner-up finish at the state tournament behind 11 goals and six assists, second on the team, as a junior. She was selected as an MWAA second team all-conference and all-Metro third team honoree in 2014, leading her to be named as a 'Player to Watch' heading into her senior season by the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Mirbaha led Cor Jesu Academy in scoring as a senior with seven goals and two assists, with the team eventually placing fourth in the Midwest Tournament. Accumulated 20 goals over the course of her prep career, which also included two years as a starter for the Lacrosse team and two seasons participating in soccer.

"Kathryn is a very scrappy, fast forward and has some great stick skills," Ostoich said. "I'm eager to see what problems she can cause on defenders and see what type of role she can have for our attack."

Miranda Sherman, F, 5-8, Fr., Eureka, Mo. (Eureka High)

Sherman was an All-Metro League First Team selection as a senior after a season in which she finished sixth among players in the St. Louis Area in both scoring (46 points) and goals (18). A four-year starter and letterwinner for Eureka High School, she also had four game-winning goals for the Wildcats in 2015, the fourth highest mark in the state. Sherman also earned second team all-conference honors as a junior and a third team all-conference selection as a sophomore, the same season she was a member of a team that finished first in the Public School tournament. Sherman was active at the club level with the Gateway Field Hockey program in St. Louis, while she also played three years of Lacrosse for the Wildcats.

"Miranda is another great addition for our forwards," Ostoich said. "She knows how to score, and she's really dedicated to the game. I think her commitment and hard work will really transfer into the college game and make her teammates around her want to work as hard as she does."

Lizzie Slinkard, 5-6, D, Fr., St. Louis, Mo. (Cor Jesu Academy)

Slinkard joins the Bears with fellow Cor Jesu Academy teammate Kathryn Mirbaha. She served as a defender on a team that went a combined 31-10-1 during her junior and senior seasons. She was also part of the Chargers' runner-up finish at the state tournament and earned honorable mention all-conference accolades as a junior. A two-year letterwinner that started in 41 of 42 games her final two seasons, Slinkhard was a first team all-conference and second team all-metro selection as a senior. This past year she also served as a team captain and was squad's recipient of the sportsmanship award. She also competed in three sports during her prep career, also participating in basketball and soccer.

"Lizzie is a really solid defender," Ostoich said. "She makes the simple passes and she keeps the ball moving. I really like that about her. She doesn't have to be flashy, she gets the job done well and can be very consistent."

The Bears begin their 16-game regular season schedule on Aug. 28 in Athens, Ohio, playing back-to-back games in consecutive days against Saint Francis (Pa.).

#MSUBears