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[Jeff Cunningham]

Norfolk Academy grad to play on USA Field Hockey Junior Team
By Jeff Cunningham | jcunningham@hrvarsity.com

USA Field Hockey has selected former Norfolk Academy student and Chesapeake resident Nicholas Szoke for its Men's Junior National Team. This is the second year in a row the team has selected Szoke.

The 19-year-old defender, who won the 2006 Junior National Championship title with the East Coast Juniors in Chula Vista, joins a roster of 25 players -- all but six of which hail from California.

"It's a privilege," Szoke said. "Up until two years ago, the whole team was basically from California, now we've got a few other guys from other places. The only drawback's the long flights out to California, but it's a privilege nonetheless."

Szoke played varsity golf and soccer at Norfolk Academy, and played ice hockey from age 5 until his junior year of high school. But until his junior year, field hockey never entered Szoke's mind. With no organized men's teams in the area, it wasn't until the National Training Center in Virginia Beach posted flyers on campus that he took notice.

"My friends and I went, kinda started out as a little bit of a joke," Szoke said. "But it went along and slowly they dropped out and I just kept going."

For Szoke, last year's national championship in Chula Vista was special because it was his first series of competitive field hockey matches. He scored his team's first goal of the tournament and eventually led his team to the title.

"It was exciting," he said. "I also played the Men's National Championships back in April and that was fun too. I wasn't sure if I'd make the junior team (this year), was kind of hurting a little bit, but they gave me the nod again."

For more information on the Men's Junior National Team -- and USA Field Hockey in general -- visit www.usafieldhockey.com.