Monomoy’s Layton shines at Under Armor field hockey game

Emily Layton arrived on the UMass Amherst campus last month with one goal in mind. After being a key contributor to the Monomoy field hockey team as a rookie last fall, Layton was thrilled to represent his hometown of Harwich and his school at College Connection’s Northeast Showcase held at UMass June 10-12.

Still, Layton wanted more. She wanted a golden ticket.

At the end of the three-day field hockey showcase, after winning a tournament with her camp teammates, Layton earned that coveted golden ticket which gave her a spot in the Under Armor Select Game which will is held July 19 at Boston College.

She was one of 60 female field hockey players from across the country to receive a Golden Ticket and an invitation to play in the Select Game.

Although Layton’s Australia side suffered an 8-1 loss to the Germany side in their selective match, Monomoy’s rising second scored the team’s only goal, providing one last lasting memory. that she will cherish forever.

“It was super exciting to get the Golden Ticket because the weekend at UMass was my focus,” Layton said. “It was super exciting to get there, and then when we started playing it felt so surreal, and when I scored the goal it was pure excitement.”

Layton said there were about 300 attendees at the UMass camp, which covered the northeast region. College Connection also held showcases in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, where field hockey players from other states had the same opportunity as Layton to show off their skills in front of college coaches from across the country.

Her BC team consisted of 14 girls representing the graduating classes of 2024-2026. A few of her teammates were fellow Bay Staters.

“When we did the introductions, everyone said where they were from and I think there were maybe five girls out of the 14 who were from Massachusetts and the rest were from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Chicago, Kentucky and California, I believe,” Layton said.

The showcase took place in extreme heat which forced the organizers to modify the plans a little. Instead of playing three 30-minute periods, the four demonstration teams each played one match that consisted of six 15-minute periods.

“It was so hot and there was a heat advisory in Boston that day, so they split it further,” Layton explained.

The fun also extended beyond the pitch. The day before the showcase, all players were invited to the Under Armor brand house at the Prudential Center in Boston, where players received a discount and received new gear.

“There was a DJ and they gave us an Under Armor product pack, which had all the latest gear,” Layton said. “It was awesome and I’m very grateful for that.”

Other surprises awaited them once the players arrived at the BC.

“You walked into the BC field hockey shack, which looks like their locker rooms and practice rooms and everything, and they had backpacks lined up on all the chairs with jerseys and t-shirts and warm-up socks and a personalized bag and bag tag,” Layton said.

Experiences at UMass and BC have given Layton exposure to many college coaches from across the country. His Team Australia team was coached by Babson field hockey coach Julie Ryan, the most winning coach in the history of the Babson program.

Although Layton has said she eventually hopes to play college field hockey at the Division I level, she is also excited to return to Monomoy following the Sharks’ loss to Ipswich in the Division 4 semi-finals.

She said her summer experiences will help her feel even more confident when the Monomoy season begins.

“It’s definitely a big confidence boost heading into preseason and high school season,” Layton said. “It was really exciting and I have a lot of support from my high school teammates which is great.”

Email Brad Joyal at brad@capecodchronicle.com.

Twitter: @BradJoyal