Madelynn Taras '26 Recruiting Profile

I AM THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE MY VERBAL COMMITMENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE ON 9/8/24!

9/4/24 -NAMED CAPTAIN OF THE HILLSBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL VARSITY TEAM, ALONG WITH 3 SENIORS.

AWARDED THE TOP 150 PLAYERS FOR 2026 BY MAX FIELD HOCKEY!

As a rising Junior at Hillsborough, NJ, I have been playing field hockey for 8 years.  My position has mainly been Varsity Starter for center or right midfielder, but I also enjoy playing forward.   I am the Starting Midfielder for the U19 Mid-Jersey Knights Elite Team, based at Rutgers University under Head Coach Joey Civico.

I received the "2023 Most Impactful Underclassman Player Award"  for my High School Team on 11/13/2023.

I am a Varsity starter for Hillsborough High School, where our team went to the Max Field Hockey National High School Invitational.  Our Skyland Conference- Delaware Division is one of  the most challenging brackets in NJ.   5 out of 6 schools are the top ranked NJ schools, so the competition is fierce all the time to raise our game!

My strengths are my ability to play offense and defense well, pre-scan the field for the best opportunities, 3D, aerials, body positioning while defending, out-letting/knowing where to be in the pockets,  intercepting to gain possession and assist or score.  Being able to read the game to anticipate my opponents, and working on my exit strategies on 1v1, 2v1 situations has been my biggest improvements. Please see my latest video where I included a variety of my skills.

I am beginning to research colleges, and attend ID camps and clinics to visit campus's and meet the coaches.   I am pursuing a  college with a great Biology program,  the right mix of culture and of course - and a strong field hockey program! I have toured many campus's now ranging from PA, CT, MA, DE and touring more this summer. 

I play Field Hockey year round for the Mid-Jersey Knights club team  on the Rutgers Astroturf.   We travel to compete against the nation's best, such as Winter Escape, Shooting Star/College Connection in DE, NIT's,  and the Thanksgiving Shooting Star Tournament in Midlothian, VA.

I am currently in JPOL ELITE tournaments which is an invite only event, playing against the top teams in area at various colleges for exposure.

I will be attending the Line UP Clinic and The APEX College Clinic in June to gain exposure with more coaches. 

I attended the LineUp Clinic on July 29th, 2023 in PA at the Proving grounds, and was coached by Johns Hopkins, West Chester and Lehigh. 

Also the D1 LineUp Clinic on March 25th, 2023 in NJ, and was coached by Boston College, Boston University, Quinnipiac and Providence. 

My academics include being on an accelerated track in Math/Science with Honors Algebra 2,  and Honors Chemistry, plus have Honors English . Total holding a 4.4 weighted GPA. 

I am a Senior level Girl Scout and achieved my Silver Award, and working towards the Gold Award and Passion Project which is a sustainable program to support the Hunger Needs in our community. 

My other sports : VARSITY 1st line - Spring Outdoor Track Team for the 800M. 1st place at multiple events & just won Sectionals for the 4x800 on 6/3/23 and participated in the State Championships.  

My passion, commitment and camaraderie drive me to always be coachable and continue to evolve as a player, I look forward to meeting you and showcasing my skills!

-We participated in Winter Escape in Florida in January 2024, I recently uploaded my highlights from this event!

-We won the U19 Thanksgiving Tournament in Virginia - Pool J.!  Please see my video clips to see my ability to play offense, defense and be explosive.  Showcasing vision, 3D skills, passing, strategy and scoring.