Jordan making transition to college field hockey

It took Jahna Jordan four games to earn her college first field hockey win.

The 2011 Fallbrook High School graduate is now the starting goalkeeper for Kent State University's team. The Golden Flashes lost their first three games of the season before attaining a 3-2 overtime victory September 3 against Massachusetts.

A year ago Jordan was the starting goalie for Fallbrook High School's field hockey team. On February 2 she signed her letter of intent to play for Kent State.

œI'm just really excited to step up my level of play, and I'm excited to have a new adventure on my own, Jordan said.

Jordan was an all-league player for all three of her Fallbrook High School varsity seasons and obtained CIF all-division and all-section distinction in her final two high school seasons. She was on the Avocado League's second team both as a sophomore and as a junior before receiving first-team Avocado East League honors as a senior. She was also named to the Division I second team and the all-section second team as a junior, and in her senior year she received first-team all-division and all-section accolades.

During her senior year Jordan faced 114 shots on goal and had 100 saves for an .877 save percentage. She often yielded the nets to Drea Gomez after the Warriors built up a lead, so Jordan's individual statistics are diluted but the team had a total of 15 shutouts.

œShe's a skilled goalie. She'll do well for them. She's a hard worker. She loves to compete, said Kathy Waite, who was Jordan's Fallbrook High School varsity coach.

Jordan spent a year with Fallbrook's junior varsity team before making the varsity as a sophomore. œI would really like to thank Mrs. Waite for all that she's done for me, and I'd also like to thank my parents for pushing me, Jordan said.

Jordan began playing field hockey when she was in eighth grade. œI thought I was actually going to hate it, she said.

œMy parents forced me to play it, Jordan said. œThey sort of pushed me to play.

Jordan's predecessor as Fallbrook High School's starting goalie, Roslyn Reynoso, is a family friend. That caused Jordan's parents to encourage their daughter to play field hockey, but it also allowed for Reynoso's tutelage. The fact that Reynoso was a goalie was also of benefit to Jordan taking up field hockey. œI was a goalie in soccer, so I decided being a goalie in field hockey would be a lot easier than trying to learn a whole new sport in a whole new position, Jordan said.

Jordan spent three years on Fallbrook's varsity soccer team, but as a midfielder rather than as a goalie. œThere's so much pressure being a goalie, she said. œI didn't really want that pressure any more.

The pressure of being a field hockey goalie wasn't an issue for Jordan. œField hockey is my main sport and I love it, and I don't mind the pressure at all, she said.

Jordan was the high school soccer team's backup goalkeeper. She started playing club soccer in fourth grade with the Fallbrook Fury and played club soccer through 2009-10. She opted to focus on field hockey rather than playing club soccer in 2010-11.

Jordan was also on the Warriors' freshman softball team as a ninth-grader before spending subsequent spring sports seasons as the junior varsity baseball team's statistician

Jordan was born in Orange County and attended St. John's Lutheran School in Orange before moving to Fallbrook in first grade. She attended Bonsall Elementary School and Sullivan Middle School prior to her four years at Fallbrook High School.

Jordan's activities also included 4-H and Sports Car Club of America racing.

Jordan's favorite Fallbrook High School field hockey memories include the off-season Guac Girls team which won its National Field Hockey Festival pool for the first time in Waite's coaching career. œWe finally won it for her, Jordan said.

In addition to Kent State, Jordan had also been considering University of the Pacific and Indiana University before her decision to play for the Golden Flashes. œIt is one of the top 25 school for field hockey, and it also has a really good business and fashion program, she said of Kent State.

Jordan plans to major in international business and hopes to have a fashion-related minor.

œWe're really excited to welcome Jahna and her family to our program, looking forward to watching her grow, said Kent State coach Kathleen Wiler. œShe's just got a really great personality, and jelled really well with our team.

Caroline Suitch was a senior last year when she was Kent State's goalie, so the starting position was open when Jordan began practice with the Golden Flashes.

œI'm thrilled she is interested and wants to move on to the next level, Waite said. œI look forward to seeing her play at Kent State.

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