Bowdoin's King Crowned as Player of the Year

HADLEY, Mass. - Bowdoin junior midfielder Taryn King (Georgetown, Mass.) has been named the 2005 NESCAC Player of the Year. King has helped her Polar Bear squad over the 2005 season to arguably their best campaign in school history, posting a 16-0 record along with capturing the 2005 NESCAC title. King, who is currently tied for second on the Bowdoin roster in points with seven goals and seven assists, is the third Polar Bear to receive Player of the Year accolades since 1999.

King, the NESCAC Rookie of the Year in 2003, was also a unanimous choice among the coaches for NESCAC All-Conference First Team honors, and it was the third year in a row that she has received All-NESCAC recognition after earning First Team honors in 2004 and Second Team recognition in 2003. Joining King on a defense-laden First Team are senior defender Margaret Gormley (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) and sophomore goalkeeper Kate Leonard (Eliot, Maine), a First Team member a year ago.

Both Middlebury and Williams also had strong showings on the NESCAC All-Conference First Team, as each squad had three players receive recognition. Middlebury senior defender Janie Mackey (St. Louis, Mo.) earned First Team honors for a second-straight year, and she was joined by classmate Allison Smith (Darien, Conn.). Sophomore Reid Berrien (Westport, Conn.) was the third Panther to receive All-NESCAC First Team honors, as she currently leads the NESCAC in goals scored (15) and points (33). For Williams, senior defender Emily Grannon (New Canaan, Conn.) came away with NESCAC All-Conference First Team honors for the third consecutive year, having earned Second Team recognition during her rookie season in 2002. Along with Grannon on the 2005 NESCAC All-Conference First Team are fellow senior defender Jaye Gregory (Greenwich, Conn.) and freshman forward Meighan McGowan (Greenwich, Conn.), who also took home NESCAC Rookie of the Year honors.

Rounding out the 11-member All-Conference First Team were junior midfielder Courtney Tetrault (Hatfield, Mass.) of Wesleyan and junior forward Katie Williams (Selinsgrove, Pa.) from Connecticut College. Tetrault accumulated eight assists in 2005, tops among her Cardinals teammates, and finished second in points at Wesleyan this season with 20. Williams played in all 15 games for the Camels this year, collecting nine goals and three assists for 21 points.

Bowdoin head coach Nicky Pearson was the choice among the coaches for NESCAC Coach of the Year, after guiding the Polar Bears to their current 16-0 mark and second NESCAC Field Hockey crown. It is the fourth time that Pearson has received the honor, after having it bestowed upon her in 2000, 2002, and 2003.