Cheverus senior Hannah Abbott, joined by her parents, Amy and Steve, her teammates and her grandfather, Walter Abbott, signs her National Letter of Intent Tuesday morning to attend and play field hockey at the University of Maine next school year. Abbott, Cheverus’ 2016 Fall Female Athlete of the Year, who played for the Stags varsity team since her freshman year, had many schools interested in her services, but not surprisingly, she gravitated to the Black Bears, where her father served as an athletic director and her grandfather was a longtime football coach.

“It’s so exciting, a dream come true,” said Hannah Abbott. “I started playing field hockey in seventh grade and I fell in love instantly. I knew I wanted to play in college. I talked to a lot of different schools, but I knew in my heart that (Maine) was where I wanted to be. There’s nothing better than Maine. Wherever they need me, I’ll play.”

Abbott helped Cheverus reach the playoffs in each of her four seasons.

“I had great teammates here,” Abbott said. “When I was a freshman, there was an amazing junior and senior class who taught me how to work hard. When I became a captain, I followed in their footsteps.”

“Hannah’s has athleticism, drive, strength and she loves the game of field hockey,” said Cheverus coach Sally Cloutier. “She’s perfected her skills with the stick as well as her game sense. When you have a kid who has the physical abilities she has and refines her skills, she’s unstoppable. It’s exciting for our program and for her to stay in Maine. She’ll only get better and better.”

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