Tara Puffenberger

Height:
5-3
Class:
Junior
High School:
Dallas High School
Hometown:
Dallas, Pa.

2013: NFHCA third-team All-American ... First-team All-Big Ten and All-West Region selection ... Assisted on NU's first goal of the season at Providence (8/30) ... Tallied goals in wins at No. 15 Northeastern (9/1), vs. No. 16 Boston University (9/7) and vs. No. 19 Michigan (9/29) ... Notched the golden goal in overtime to defeat California, 2-1 (9/13) ... Recorded an assist on Dominique Masters' game-tying goal with 1:47 remaining in regulation in a 4-3 overtime victory over No. 14 Iowa (9/27) ... Academic All-Big Ten.

2012: NFHCA third-team All-American ... First-team All-Big Ten and All-West Region selection ... Tallied goals in wins over Miami (Ohio) (8/25), No. 11 Stanford (8/29) and Pacific (9/2) ... Also notched an assist in the Stanford win ... Scored twice in a win over UC Davis (9/3) ... Named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after posting a goal and an assist in a win at No. 9 Duke (9/9) ... Recorded four goals to go along with an assist in a victory over Ball State (9/15) ... Assisted on Chelsea Armstrong's game-winning goal 12 seconds into overtime in a 5-4 victory over No. 6 Penn State (9/28) ... Tabbed Big Ten Offensive Player the Week after collecting an assist in a win at No. 15 Michigan (10/5) and a first-half hat trick in a victory over Kent State (10/7) ... Academic All-Big Ten.

2011: Did not compete, but enrolled in classes at Virginia.

2010 (At Virginia): Named ACC Player of the Week (9/14/10) ... Mid-Atlantic All-Region second team.

2009 (At Virginia): Made an immediate impact as a freshman, scoring 10 goals ... Contributed three assists for 23 points ... Third on the squad with 59 shots, including 37 on goal ... Scored four game-winners ... Recorded first collegiate goal at Providence (9/4) ... Tallied multi-goal games against the Friars (9/4), at Kent State (9/11) and vs. Michigan State (9/20) ... Named ACC Rookie of the Week and National Rookie of the Week by womensfieldhockey.com (9/22/09)

High School: Two-time first team All-American ... Two-time first team all-region ... Three-time first-team All-State ... 2007 and 2008 team MVP ... Team captain ... Also competed in track and lacrosse ... Three-time academic honor roll selection ... Club team was X-Calibur FHC ... National/International experience: Member of the United States Junior World Cup Team ... Played on PA/CA high performance team in summer 2009 ... Participated on the U.S. Under-21 squad in 2009 Youth Olympic Festival in Australia ... Won gold with U.S. Junior National team at the 2008 Junior Pan American Games in Mexico City ... Two-time United States U-21 National Team member ... Two-time United States U-16 National Team member ... Four-time Olympic Development Select participant ... Five-time Futures Elite and National Futures Tournament participant ... Participated in 2007 Futures Elite/Olympic Development Select U-16 Netherlands Tournament ... 2006 Futures Elite Netherlands Tour ... Two-time USA/Canada Challenge participant ... Two-time Junior Olympic Games participant

Personal: Born Tara Marie Puffenberger ... Daughter of Mark and Tina Puffenberger ... Has two older sisters, Amy and Kelly, and an older brother, David ... Father, Mark, played soccer at Franklin & Marshall College ... Sister, Kelly, played soccer at King's College ... Competed alongside current Wildcats Nikki Parsley and Maddy Carpenter on Junior National Team ... Majoring in sociology.