A pair of Golden Bear field hockey players will continue their athletic careers at the Division II level.

Chloe Burkhard signed her NLI to play field hockey at D'Youville in their inaugural season as a program. The field hockey defender will major in business and says that the memories made at Vestal are lifelong and she is looking forward to competing at the next level. 

"I am super excited," Burkhard. "It is really upsetting to be leaving my teammates in this program because it has done so much for me, brought me so far and given me this opportunity to play in college".

Also signing her NLI today is Burkhard's teammate Reilly Storer but to play softball at the Division II level for Mansfield University in Pennsylvania.

The All STAC-Metro team pitcher says that a sense of a new home was established after her first visit to the campus.

"I really just wanted a college that felt like home," said Storer. "Once I left Mansfield there was something about it that made me miss it already and I knew that it was home".

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar was also in attendance to not only congratulate both of the athletes but to declare that November 17, 2023 to be Vestal Field Hockey Day In Broome County. This comes after the Golden Bears won their second consecutive state championship for field hockey against Iroquois 4-1 on November 12 at Centereach High School.