The first ever Amanda K. Strous Memorial Field Hockey Scholarship is to be awarded to a player who embodies the character and love of field hockey that Strous left with the team.

That player, as selected by former head coach Bertie Landes and SU’s field hockey program, is junior Brooke Sheibley.

Sheibley received the scholarship during a ceremony at Shippensburg Field Hockey’s Spring Tournament, but perhaps the best gift of all is the new uniform she will be wearing the following season.

Sheibley will wear No. 22, Strous’ former number, for her senior year at SU. Since 2007, No. 22 has represented leadership, dedication and love for the game at Shippensburg, and SU’s 2016 team returned the favor, draping Strous’ jersey over the NCAA trophy the team won last November. The players chanted, “22! 22! 22!” as streamers littered the field in celebration.

Now, Sheibley gets to continue that legacy through the end of her Raider career.

“It was a really big surprise to me,” Sheibley said.

“Obviously, we were all talking [about] who was going to get it and my name didn’t cross my mind for a second, but it’s a really big honor, and I was pleasantly surprised.”

Sheibley played an integral role in the team’s 2-1 victory over Long Island University-Post in the national championship game. Sheibley connected with Emily Barnard for the team’s first goal of the game, marking two games in a row the pair factored in on huge goals for SU.

The team seemed destined for a championship after the summer’s tragedy brought the players and coaches closer than ever before.

“The fall was an emotional rollercoaster up and down,” Sheibley said. “Everything just seemed multiplied by 10, and I think that honestly helped us because we were so committed and so close to one another that we just wanted to do it for each other.”

For Sheibley, being the first recipient of the scholarship is an honor, but it is also a consistent reminder to hold close the characteristics that made Strous so loved, which will continue even after Sheibley finishes her Shippensburg career. “I think it’s really going to push people to be their best and be the best person they can possibly be on and off the field,” she said. “That’s what it did for me.”

The scholarship was formed by Strous’ family with the help of former head coach Bertie Landes and the Shippensburg field hockey program. Strous’ contributions to the program are endless, and creation of the scholarship in her memory assures that her legacy will live on.

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