McKenzie Hicks (Hammer FC; Class of 2009) played her entire club career (11 years) with Hammer FC.  She played soccer with great passion and determination while always being a leader and a great team player. In 2009, she accepted an athletic scholarship at Morehead State University. A couple of week’s ago after a college training session, McKenzie did not feel well and went to the hospital with her teammates. A few hours later, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s. She was immediately brought back to the Cincinnati area to be with her family and to begin the necessary treatments at Children’s Hospital. McKenzie is facing this challenge as she has played soccer all these years – with fierce determination.

Our soccer club in a lot of ways is a large extended family. Teammates are like sisters and brothers. When any one of us hurts we all hurt. Many of McKenzie’s former Hammer teammates have been in contact with her to show their support.

McKenzie’s current Morehead State University teammates are communicating with her daily and making the drive to Cincinnati on weekends to visit her. The picture was taken February 19, 2011 as all her Morehead State teammates surprised McKenzie with all of them coming in to see her wearing t-shirts that said “WE CAN DO THIS”.

Please keep McKenzie speedy recovery in your thoughts and prayers.

Sep 20, 2010

Milillo (left) led the BSU offense to a 3-2 win over Duquesne while NIU's Carr stonewalled SIU-Edwardsville and UW-Green Bay in back-to-back shutouts.

MAC Women's Offensive Player of the Week
Abby Milillo, Ball State, Midfielder
RS Sophomore, Fairfield, Ohio (Badin)
Redshirt sophomore midfielder Abby Milillo led the Cardinals to their sixth win of the season and their best start since 2005 as they improved to 6-2-0 on the year with a 3-2 road win at Duquesne ... Milillo, who came into the game with four career points, scored a career-high five points as she was involved in all three Ball State goals as she scored two goals and handed out an assist on the game-winning tally ... She scored unassisted in the 24th and 71st minutes of action for her first multiple goal game of her career and the Cardinals' second multiple-goal contest of the year.

Casey Mercurio's defensive prowess earned the sophomore BIG EAST Conference and national honors

Sept. 13, 2010

 

CHICAGO - Monday was the day the women's college soccer world sat up and took notice of Casey Mercurio.

First came the good news that DePaul's sophomore defender had been selected as the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week.

Right after that, Mercurio was chosen among 15 players nationally as a Primetime Performer of the Week by CollegeSoccer360.com.

"I was ecstatic," Mercurio said about her reaction to the dual awards. "It's very exciting and also a good reflection on the whole back line.

"I was kind of frustrated after the first two games of the season because I wasn't getting in much.

"But the coaches were very supportive, and they believed in me. Eventually I stepped it up and started playing like I know I can."

In last Friday's 0-0 double-overtime tie with Big Ten power Michigan State, the Spartans launched five corner kicks in the extra periods.

Mercurio made sure none of them got re-directed into the DePaul net.

"Casey has wonderful athleticism, is great in the air, and is a very tough and fearless defender," said DePaul coach Erin Chastain. "She led our back line in shutting down a very dynamic attacking group at Michigan State.

"She followed that up with a very solid performance on Sunday against a Drake program that is off to its best start in school history."

The Blue Demons slowed the Bulldogs down with a 2-0 victory.

Mercurio couldn't have picked a better time to emerge as De Paul's defensive stopper en route to winning her first BIG EAST weekly award.

She has helped fill the void created by injuries to a pair of starting defenders and emerged as a difference-maker on defense along with Rebekah Roller, Kylie Nordness, Beth Perry and goalkeeper Claire Hanold.

Mercurio started at center back as a freshman in 2008, but was injured the following year and sat out the entire season.

"Once I got back, it took me a while to adjust to the speed of play," Mercurio said. "There was a little doubt. Would I be as good as I was after sitting out so long?

"I'm proving to myself that I can be just as good with a chance to be ever better."

The back-to-back shutouts last weekend gave the Blue Demons four in eight games this season.

"Casey was out for about nine months, and is really starting to regain her pre-injury form," Chastain said. "She was one of our best defenders in 2008.

"I am extremely proud of Casey, and I know that being back on the field for our program means the world to her."

The 2009 Blue Demons were nicknamed "Team Turnaround" after posting the best season since 2003.

"It was a little hard seeing all that success and not being able to be a part of it," Mercurio said. "Being out a year gives you a whole different perspective.

"But, I'm a part of it this year, and I just want to be there for my teammates."

She will need to be at her vigilant best on Friday when No. 3/11 Notre Dame invades Wish Field at Cacciatore Stadium for a 4 p.m. BIG EAST Conference opener.

NCAA DI: 
South Carolina: Ellen Fahey
Duke: Meaghan FitzGerald
Illinois: Caitlin Dombart
North Carolina: Erin Mikula (serving as an undergraduate assistant coach due to injury)  
Dayton: Kelly Blumenschein
Central Michigan University: Katie Slaughter
Morehead State University: McKenzie Hicks, Molly Hicks, Sam Toepfer, Amie Weckenbrock
 
NCAA DII:
Northern Kentucky: Kelli Sneed
 
NCAA DIII:
University of Chicago: Maggie Tobin
Emory: Lauren Drosick 

Good luck to all our Alum!

Aug. 30, 2010

LEXINGTON, KY - UK senior goalkeeper Sydney Hiance has been named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week as announced by the league office on Monday.

Hiance, a native of Ft. Thomas, Ky., posted her 16th career shutout Friday night in helping lead the Wildcats to a 2-0 win over Indiana. She recorded eight saves in the victory and lowered her career goals against average to (GAA) to 1.23.

"Syd worked extremely hard over the summer and dedicated herself to being prepared for her senior year," said UK assistant coach Aaron Rodgers, who trains the goalkeepers. "She has embraced the style of play that we teach and is playing as well as she has since this staff has been at UK."

Hiance has a 0.00 GAA so far this season, tied for first in the SEC and she is now only four saves shy of her 200th career save.

The award is the fifth of her collegiate career which is the most for any Wildcat in school history. It's the first for the Kentucky this season and the 18th time a UK player has received any sort of SEC player of the week honor.

Kentucky hits the road this weekend for its first road test of the season. The Wildcats travel to Winston-Salem, N.C. to take on the 16th ranked Virginia Tech Hokies and 10th ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Hammer is proud of our rich tradition of promoting student athletes.  Below is a list of some of our alumni.