Player Spotlight!!

For this player spotlight, we will be focusing on one of the International members of the field hockey team, Maude Stalars. Maude is from Rhode-Saint-Genese, Belgium, who transferred to Central Michigan University from College Cardinal Mercier, in Braine-Le-Comte, Belgium, in 2013.

However, in an article on CM-Life, Maude explains the difficulty of being an international student in a foreign country:

Photo Credit: cmuchippewas.com

"I thought it would be quite similar to what it was life in Belgium, but it was more different than I thought. It was hard adjusting to the language and I really had a culture shock because people dress differently, speak differently than what I studied, the schooling system (is) different, it (is) quite different."

Thankfully for the Chippewas, Stalars has been able to work through the difference in culture and has become an important player for Central Michigan. In 2013 she appeared in all 19 games and started in 14 of them. However, Maude really demonstrated her talent in the 2014 season when she finished second in the team in shots (25) and third on the team in assists (3). Also, because of her efforts, she was named First Team All-MAC and was selected for the All-Academic team for the Mid-American Conference, with a cumulative GPA of 3.45. Finally, as Junior, she played in all 17 games for the Chippewas, while being second on the team in goals (4), second on the team in points (9). Although she wasn't selected for the All-Conference team, like the previous season, she was selected to the MAC All-Academic team, while majoring in International Business.

With Maude only being a Junior, the Chippewas are likely to rely heavily on the experience of the international Mid fielder, as she prepares for her last season at Central Michigan University.

By Michael Greenwood