Eleven from NESCAC Named All-America in Field Hockey
Courtesy NFHCA
2011 NFHCA All-America Teams (PDF)
HADLEY, Mass. – Eleven players from five different NESCAC teams were honored as All-America by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) on Tuesday.
Of the 11 All-Americans from the NESCAC, four received recognition on the First Team. Conference champion Bowdoin had two honorees in Ella Curren and Katie Herter, while national finalist Middlebury saw NESCAC Player of the Year Lauren Greer garner plaudits. Rounding out the First Team was repeat member Carly Dudzik of Amherst.
The duo from the Polar Bears were both chosen as All-America last fall, with Herter landing on the Second Team and Curren earning a spot on the Third Team. Curren, the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time All-Conference First Team member, was one of the best two-way players in the NESCAC. The senior defender provided strong leadership to a defensive corps that yielded a league-low 13 goals, and on attack she tallied 10 goals and assisted on seven others. Among the league leaders in points this season, Herter finished fifth in the league with 33 points on 12 goals and nine assists. The Polar Bears went 19-1 in 2011 and reached the national semifinals for the sixth time in program history.
Greer re-wrote the Panther record book, setting new single-season and career program marks in goals, assists, and points during her third year at Middlebury. The 2009 NESCAC Rookie of the Year amassed 86 points over 21 outings - the most by any player since NESCAC championship play began in 2000 - with 35 goals and 16 assists. Only once this season was Greer held off the score sheet, as she had a hand in nearly 66 percent of her team's goals. In addition to being named the NESCAC Player of the Year, Greer garnered All-NESCAC honors for the third year in a row with her second-straight appointment to the First Team. She was also named the New England West Region Player of the Year by the NFHCA on Tuesday.
Dudzik became the first Jeff player in a decade to be named to the All-America First Team a year ago. In 2011, Dudzik received All-NESCAC First Team recognition for the third time in as many years, as she continued to play a vital role for the Jeffs on both sides of the ball. The key distributor on attack and striker on corners for the Jeffs, Dudzik netted five goals and a career-best 10 assists over 19 starts. Dudzik also served as the flyer on defensive corners and recorded a defensive save, the second during her tenure with the Jeffs.
On the All-America Second Team from the NESCAC were Bowdoin's Elizabeth Clegg, Margaret Souther of Middlebury, and Amherst's Rachel Tannebaum. Tannebaum was honored earlier this month as the NESCAC Rookie of the Year for her stellar play in net for the Lord Jeffs.
The Third Team consisted of former First Team All-American Taylor Dyer of Tufts. She was joined from the conference by Charlotte Gardiner of Middlebury, Katie McMahon of Amherst, and Meera Sivalingam of Williams. All four individuals received All-NESCAC First Team recognition this season.
