Alison Brett ’13
Convent of the Sacred Heart senior Jenna Hascher is off to the Big Ten. On Wednesday February 6, Jenna signed a National Letter of intent to play soccer at Northwestern University, a member of the well- known Big Ten Conference. It is goodbye to the Tigers and hello to the Wildcats for Jenna who will continue her goalkeeping career at the prestigious university.
Jenna is a four-year starter goalkeeper on the Sacred Heart Varsity soccer team and was co-captain for the 2012 season. She began playing soccer, which is a family passion, when she was three years old. Her older sister and father were goalies.
“I always wanted to play,” she said.
Jenna played soccer for the Stamford Hurricanes, the Norwalk-based Everton American soccer club and currently plays for the Connecticut Football Club United Team. At CFC, she received tutelage from Tony Meola, United States National Team goalkeeper, and drove to New Jersey to learn.
“To hear his experiences, how he played, tips from him…He is a huge idol of mine,” Jenna said.
Jenna gained experience on the CFC United Team by playing other highly-competitive teams from across the country.
At Sacred Heart, with soccer coach Brendan Reidy, Jenna learned to become a leader and to take control. According to Director of Athletics Ms. Kelly Stone, Jenna’s greatest accomplishments on the field are her high save percentage, ability to boot the ball well down the field, and her stewardship of the backfield.
Alison Brett ’13.
“Middle School soccer players watching Jenna deny her opponents are inspired by her skill, work ethic, sacrifices and success; they see first-hand that the dream of playing at the highest level in college sports can be realized,” Ms. Stone said.
For Jenna, the most important factor when she explored colleges was academics. As co-editor-in-chief of the news show, Today From the Heart, her search included schools where she could study journalism. Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, and Integrated Marketing Communications–one of the most renown communications schools in the nation–offered the perfect fit.
“Teachers helped me a lot in my recruiting process,” Jenna said. “When sending out my transcripts, or when I had to leave class to go to a school or visit a camp, they knew what I wanted to do and were helpful.”
Jenna is the second soccer player to sign a National Letter of Intent from Sacred Heart, after Erin Myers, ’12, who committed to play at Vanderbilt University in the Southeastern Conference in 2011.
“Jenna’s National Letter of Intent and Erin Myers’, last year, to play in the SEC demonstrate that Sacred Heart soccer is a competitive and viable program,” Ms. Stone said. “It’s awesome for Jenna; we are really proud of her. Her achievement enhances Sacred Heart’s retainment and recruitment opportunities moving forward.”
In order to have the opportunity to play at the highest level in collegiate sports, commitment is necessary.
“Jenna put it all out on the table and realized her dream,” Ms. Stone said.
“We are extremely proud of Jenna. She is a tremendous asset on the team,” Head of School, Mrs. Pamela Juan Hayes said.
– Alison Brett, Photo Editor
Other Articles
http://www.greenwichtime.com/sports/article/Jenna-Hascher-of-Sacred-Heart-signs-to-play-4257883.php#photo-4149230
http://www.thehour.com/stamford_times/sports/stamford-resident-jenna-hascher-to-play-soccer-at-northwestern/article_e0719ac7-4067-5898-98ae-26efabaa27b5.html
http://www.greenwichcitizen.com/highschool/article/Tiger-changing-her-stripes-CSH-soccer-star-Jenna-4260031.php#photo-4146768