Meet the 2023 Field Hockey Newcomers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – With the first game of the 2023 campaign just over two weeks away, the University of Louisville field hockey team took the field for the first time on Wednesday. This year's squad features 10 newcomers including eight freshmen and a pair of graduate transfers.

"Our 2023 incoming class is strong and full of potential," said UofL head coach Justine Sowry. "Our freshmen group come from all over the world, represent varying backgrounds, and offer different levels of experience. Complementing our freshman, we gained two fifth- year student-athletes who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our lineup and will enhance critical areas on the pitch. With our freshman and fifth-year additions, we will have greater depth across each positional line which will provide a lot of flexibility throughout the course of the season. This squad is motivated and we are excited to get started this preseason."

The incoming class will balance out a squad that includes 16 returners from the 2022 campaign. Last year, the Cardinals registered a 12-8 overall record after earning its fourth straight NCAA tournament bid. The Cardinals were ranked No. 12 in the final NFHCA Coaches Poll after spending the entire season in the top 15 and reaching as high as No. 4.

Meet the 2023 Louisville Field Hockey Newcomers
Gigi Edwards
Position: Forward
Hometown: St. Louis, Mo.
High School: Villa Duchesne
Club: Gateway
Edwards joins Louisville from St. Louis, Mo., where she was a four-year starter and 2022 varsity captain for Villa Duchesne High School and helped the Saints to three state championships, earning All-Metro Co-Player of the Year honors in 2022. As a senior, the three-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) High School third team all-American and Midwest all-region selection was ranked among Max Field Hockey's Top 50 Class of 2023.

The forward was the area leader in scoring, assists and points in 2021 and 2022 and stood at the top of the assist leader list for three straight seasons (2020-22). During her high school career, she tallied 89 goals – including 31 during her junior season and dished out 79 assists, registering 25 in the 2022 season. In addition to her NFHCA honors, Edwards was a four-time St. Louis Post-Dispatch first team all-conference, all-metro and all-district selection. She was named the team Player of the Year in 2022 and earned the Villa Duchesne Coaches award three times. The dual-sport athlete also played lacrosse in high school.

While playing for Gateway Field Hockey Club, Edwards helped her a runner-up finish at the National Club Championship in 2021. She was named to the USA Today High School Player of the Year Watchlist.

Tyler Everslage
Position: Forward
Hometown: Louisville, Ky.
High School: Assumption
Club Team: IFHCK
Everslage elected to stay in her hometown for her collegiate career. The Assumption High School product became the Rockets' top scorer with 117 career goals while helping lead the school to a pair of state titles (2019, 2022) and a runner-up showing in 2021.

The forward, who was ranked among Max Field Hockey's top 50 in the class of 2023, earned 2022 NFHCA first team all-America and all-region honors following an impressive senior campaign in which the forward led the state with 50 goals and 117 points and dishing out 17 assists while leading Assumption to the state championship. Everslage was selected as the state tournament Most Valuable Player while earning all-tournament recognition and was selected to play in the Kentucky Senior All-Star Game. She was also named the 2022 Kentucky Miss Field Hockey and named to the USA Today High School Player of the Year Watchlist.

The three-time all-state and two-time all-Midwest region selection garnered NFHCA All-America third team and Max Field Hockey Kentucky Player of the Year honors in 2021 after leading the state of Kentucky with 38 goals and 96 points and delivered 20 assists.

In the USA Field Hockey system, Everslage was invited to the U21 Junior Women's National Team Selection Camp (2023) the U19 RISE Camp (2022) and the U16 RISE Camp (2021) and was a two-time Stars and Stripes Elite Game and Nexus Championship selection, winning the gold medal in 2021. Additionally, she was a 2022 USA Field Hockey Festival All-Star. In 2020, she was tabbed the Under Armour Select Game MVP.

While playing for the International Field Hockey Club of Kentucky (IFHCK) club team, Everslage helped her team qualify for the National Club Championship and finish sixth in 2022.

Lauren Masters
Position: Forward
Hometown: Pittstown, N.J.
High School: North Hunterdon Regional
Club: Omega Field Hockey Club
Masters comes to Louisville from Pittstown, N.J., where she was a four-year starter and two-year captain for North Hunterdon Regional. The forward finished her career as the school's all-time leader in goals (141) and points (329) as she helped lead the Lions to back-to-back Group II state, section and county titles in 2021 and 2022 and the 2021 Skyland Conference championship.

The two-time NFHCA all-America and all-region honoree also earned a trio of all-state selections. Additionally, she collected three All-Skyland Conference and All-Area Hunterdon County Player of the Year titles after leading the league and county in scoring from 2019-2022 and was tabbed the Most Valuable Player of the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex County Game in 2022. Masters was also named to the USA Today High School Player of the Year Watch List. The multi-sport athlete was a founding member of her high school girls wrestling team and was ranked sixth in the state as a freshman. She also competed on the golf team.

While playing in the USA Field Hockey system, Masters was invited to the U21 Junior Women's National Team Selection Camp (2023) and was named to the RISE Women's National Team, earning a spot on the roster versus Canada in May 2022. That same year, she was selected for the Senior Nexus Championship. In 2021, Masters was an AAU Junior Olympics, Nexus Championships, Stars and Stripes and Region 6 Elect selection. She was also a three-time Under Armour Select Game participant (2019-21), earning Player of the Game for Team USA in 2019 - and she played in the U16 National Indoor Tournament in 2019 and 2020.

Masters also played for the Omega Field Hockey Club, helped her team to a second place showing in their pool in the Shooting Stars Easter and Thanksgiving tournaments in 2021. In 2020 her squad won their poll at the Shooting Starts U19 tournament.

Roosje Neve
Forward/Midfielder
Hometown: Tilburg, The Netherlands
High School: De Nieuwste School
Class: Freshman
Neve comes to Louisville from Tilburg, in the Netherlands after competing in the highest levels of youth field hockey (Landelijk and Super). The forward and midfielder helped her team win the Holland Elite Cup twice and the Super A Championship. While playing at the U15 level, her team won the Landelijk title.

Lara Niebler
Position: Forward/Midfield
Hometown: Nuremberg, Germany
High School: Bertolt-Brecht-Gymnasium
Niebler comes to Louisville from Nuremberg, Germany where she was a member of the German National Under-16 Team and the states select team.

The midfielder/forward helped her team reach the finals of the German championship twice and won five state championships. Niebler also competed in the South German Championship in 2017, 2019 and 2020.

Chloe Plumb
Position: Forward
Hometown: Ramsgate, England
High School: St Lawrence College
Club:
Plumb joins the Cardinals from Ramsgate, England where she is a member of England's Under-18 National Team and served as the captain of the St. Lawrence College First XI Team in 2022.

The forward built an impressive international resume while scoring against teams from Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Belgium, France, Holland and the Czech Republic. Plumb played for England's U16 national team from 2019-2020 and scored in her debut match. In 2020, she was the top goal scorer in the England U18 Girls Indoor Hockey Final when her Canterbury Hockey Club team won the Silver Medal.

While playing for St. Lawrence College, she helped her team win Gold Medal at the Tier 2 England Schools Hockey Finals..

The multi-sport athlete also competed in netball, cricket, tennis and track and collected some impressive accolades including winning the Bronze Medal in a Schools National Javelin Competition 2016 and setting the school record for the furthest Javelin throw at St Lawrence College 2019. Additionally, Plumb helped her cricket team win the Gold National Indoor Cricket Schools Competition with Kent College at Lords Cricket Ground, London.

Chloe's sister, Aimee is a senior on UofL's team.

Aubreigh Uba
Position: Back
Hometown: Douglassville, Pa.
High School: Berks Catholic
Club: XCalibur
Uba joins the Cardinals from Douglassville, Pa., where she was a four-year starter for Berks Catholic High School and helped lead the Saints to four straight division championships.

Uba earned NFHCA High School third team all-American and first team all-region honors in 2022 and was named Berks' Offensive Player of the Year after scoring 44 goals and registering 22 assists and leading the county in goals and points (110). Additionally, she was a three-time all-state selection (2021, 2022) and earned a trio of all-county honors (2020, 2021, 2022). The dual sport athlete also lettered in lacrosse.

Within the USA Field Hockey system, she was invited to participate in the 2022 Rise Team Selection Camp and was named to the 2020 U.S. U-16 Women's National Team. Additionally, she helped her team to a first place finish at the 2022 U19 Nexus Championship.

Uba also played for the XCalibur Club team and helped her squad win their pool in U19 National Indoor Tournament in 2019 and 2021 and finish second in the Regional Club Championship in 2019.

Emily Young
Position: Goalkeeper
Hometown: Houston, Texas
High School: Episcopal
Club: Texas Pride
Young comes to Louisville from Houston, Texas, where she played for Episcopal High School and the Texas Pride Club team.

One of Max Field Hockey's top 40 Midwest Region Players to Watch in 2022, Young earned NFHCA All-West Region and Southwest Preparatory All-Conference honors and was named Episcopal's team MVP after posting 215 saves with a percentage of .860.

While playing in the USA Field Hockey system, Young was chosen to participate in the Rise Team Selection Camp. The goalkeeper competed in the U-19 National Indoor Championship and the U19 NIT Qualifier in 2022 as well as the Nexus National Championship in 2021

As a member of the Texas Pride, Young helped her team take first place at the U19 Sunshine Showcase (2022), place second in the NFHCA Top Recruit Winter Escape (2021) and finish third in the 2021 Regional Club Championship.

Meet the 2023 Graduate Transfers
Niamh Gowing
Position: Forward
Class: Graduate Student
Hometown: Dublin, Ireland
Last School: Providence College
Gowing comes to Louisville as a graduate transfer from Providence College where she was a four-year starter for the Friars while earning a bachelor's degree in business management and her MBA. Throughout her career, Gowing started 63 games and tallied 16 goals while dishing out 13 assists – leading the team with 20 points in the 2021 campaign. In her final season at Providence, Gowing earned BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week honors and was selected for the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I Senior Game.

The dual sport athlete competed track and field for the Friars from 2020-23 and was a member of the 2020 BIG EAST champion distance medley relay team. She also ran the 200m, 400m and 4x400m relay.

Prior to her time in Providence, Gowing attended University College Dublin and Mount Anville Secondary School. During her prep years, she played six years of varsity field hockey and track and field (2012-2018), as well as five years of tennis (2012-2017) and a single year of basketball and cricket (2012). She was a member of the Irish U21 Development Squad. Additionally, she represented Ireland at the European Junior Championships on the 4x400 relay team (2017), Ireland Junior relay squad in the 4x400 (2018) and the Ireland U23 Relay Squad in the 4x400 (2019).

Merlijn van der Vegt
Position: Goalkeeper
Hometown: Utrecht, The Netherlands
High School: St. Bonifatius College
Last School: Hofstra
van der Vegt comes to Louisville as a graduate transfer from Hofstra after graduating with a double major in geology and history in 2023. The goalkeeper was a four-year starter and a 2021 All-Colonial Athletic Association second team honoree. As a senior, van der Vegt stood 11th in the NCAA with a .787 save percentage and posted a 1.60 goals against average while collecting five wins for the Pride.

Hailing from Utrecht, The Netherlands, van der Vegt attended St. Bonifatius College, helping the team reach the regional finals. They were also a member of league championship teams in indoor hockey with U14 in 2015-16, with U18 in 2016-17, and with U18 and senior women's team in 2017-18 and played for the national runners-up U18 team in 2016-17.

A four-time NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad selection, van der Vegt was named an NFHCA Division I Scholar of Distinction and a College Sports Communications All-District selection in 2023.

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Players Mentioned

Gigi Edwards

Tyler Everslage

Niamh Gowing

Lauren Masters

Roosje Neve

Lara Niebler

Chloe Plumb

Aubreigh Uba

Merlijn van der Vegt

Emily Young

University of Louisville Athletics