Virginia Beach, Va.  -     USA Field Hockey crowned 19 team champions today as the 2008 National Indoor Festival concluded in Virginia Beach. Held at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, the tournament welcomed athletes from 152 teams representing 18 different states. The annual event, now in its 29th year, is the largest indoor event in USA Field Hockey history and is comprised of three different age divisions (U14, U16, and U19) and is a springboard to national team participation. Each pool features eight teams; the teams compete in seven games over the three days with the champions being named as a result of the round robin play. Teams from Pennsylvania won 14 of the 19 pools; a New Jersey team won two sections to help the Garden State finish as the only other state to win multiple pools. Maryland, California, and New York all had one club winner to their credit.

In the U19 Division, the Mystx Storm used a 3-1 victory over the WC Eagles X in the final game of pool play to claim the championship in Pool A. US Under-18 team member Rhian Jones scored a pair of goals while Under-21 team member Katie Reinprecht scored the third marker for the champions. Jones and Reinprecht will travel to South America this week along with fellow Storm teammate Rachel Magerman as the USA Under-18 and Under-21 teams will compete; the U-18s will play Chile and the U-21s will face Argentina.

In Pool B, First Class Titanium (PA) used a close 2-1 victory over Mystx Sting (PA) to claim the title; the two sides sat atop the pool with 16 points each but First Class took the championship based on the head-to-head win.

US teammates were on opposite sides of the pitch as the Valley Styx Red (PA) faced Xcalibur Freedom (PA) for the Pool C title; the Valley Styx used a pair of goals by USA Under-18 athlete Kathleen Sharkey and a pair by Heather Susek to help Red defeat the Freedom 6-4. USA Under-21 team member Paige Selenski also scored in the game; Selenski will travel to Argentina later this week. Sharley, Susek, and Kelsey Lloyd will join forces with the Freedom’s Brooke Borneman and Adelle Lever to help the USA Under-18 team in their series against Chile next week.

In Pool D, four clubs were within three points of each other for the title; but it was Chaos that made sense of the chaos in the pool to claim the title. The team from Pennsylvania garnered 15 points with a 5-2 record to edge First State Diamonds (DE) and Mid-State Purple (PA), both of whom had 14 points with 4-1-2 records.  

Jersey Intensity V (NJ) did not drop a game in Pool E to claim the championship; that side used a 5-3 victory over second-place Lanco Premier Red (PA) in both teams’ second game of the tournament to out-point their neighbors to the west.

Majestyx 90 (PA) made the best of a confusing Pool F as four teams were within three points of the top; the Pennsylvania team posted a 4-1-2 record (14 points) to edge PA Power (3-0-4), who did not lose a game but finished second due to four ties.

The WC Eagles III (PA) did not lose a game in Pool G, going 6-0-1. One of those wins included a 1-0 win over Firestyx Two (PA) in the final game of pool play. Kerrie Edmonds of Fire Styx Two, a member of the USA Under-18 team, will travel to Chile with the rest of her USA teammates to compete in the series against Chile.

Sparks White gave Maryland its only title of the 2008 NIT as the side went undefeated in Pool H, going 7-0 that included a 6-1 victory over the Rising Sun Rat Dogs, who finished in second place in the pool. San Diego gave California its only title as the team from Southern California went 6-0-1; the team defeated second-place Rascals 2-1 to claim the championship.

In the U16 Division, six team champions were named. In Pool J, Strikers Pride (PA/MD/DE) took the title with 18 points on the strength of a 6-1 record. The Xcalibur Silverhawks defeated WC Eagles I 4-1 to claim the title in Pool K after both teams finished with identical 6-1 records.

The High Styx Pride (PA) went undefeated in Pool L to win the title. Jersey Intensity II (NJ) used a 2-1 victory over Gotta Love It (DE/MD) in the final game of pool play to rise to the top of the standings in Pool M.

In Pool N, the Xcalibur Dragons (PA) swept through the pool, going 7-0, including a 3-0 shutout of Cape Ann Black (CT/MA), who finished in second place in the pool. The Pool O Champion Hudson Valley II (NY) side did not drop a game, going 6-0-1; the only blemish on the record was a 2-2 tie against WC Eagles IV (PA), who finished in second place.

In the U14 Division Pool P, the Mystx Burn (PA) also went undefeated, allowing only two goals while notching five shutouts in the tournament. One of the shutouts was a 2-0 defeat of second-place Xcalibur Knights (PA/NJ). In Pool Q, the High Styx Swarm (PA) tied with the DE Shore Inlet (DE) in points, but a 4-2 victory for the Swarm over Inlet pushed the Keystone State team to the championship in the pool. The WC Eagles swept the competition in Pool R to take the championship; the Eagles allowed only three goals and posted five shutouts, including a 2-0 victory over second-place First Class. In Pool S, Mid-State used a 3-2 victory over fellow Pennsylvania club Valley Styx in the final match of the day to claim the title in the pool.

      A full listing of the pool champions is included below.

2008 NIT POOL WINNERS –

U19A – MYSTX STORM (PA)

U19B – FIRST CLASS TITANIUM (PA)

U19C – VALLEY STYX RED (PA)

U19D – CHAOS (PA)

U19E – JERSEY INTENSITY V (NJ)

U19F – MAJESTYX 90 (PA)

U19G – WC EAGLES II (PA)

U19H – SPARKS WHITE (MD)

U19I – SAN DIEGO (CA)

U16J – STRIKERS PRIDE (PA)

U16K – XCALIBUR SILVERHAWK (PA)

U16L – HIGH STYX PRIDE (PA)

U16M – JERSEY INTENSITY II (NJ)

U16N – XCALIBUR DRAGONS (PA)

U16O – HUDSON VALLEY II (NY)

U14P – MYSTX BURN (PA)

U14Q – HIGH STYX SWARM (PA)

U14R – WC EAGLES (PA)

U14S – MID STATE (PA)