Eight NESCAC Field Hockey Players Named All-America by NFHCA
Courtesy NFHCA
HADLEY, Mass. – Eight NESCAC field hockey players have been selected as All-America by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) on Tuesday. Of the eight, four individuals landed on the First Team: Tamara Brown and Margi Scholtes of Tufts and Gina Dinallo and Payson Sword of Trinity.
The 2009 NESCAC Field Hockey Champion Jumbos had three individuals overall honored, all of whom were named All-America last year. Scholtes, a senior co-captain, is a First Team All-American for the second consecutive season. Brown, a junior forward, is also a First Team All-American this fall after earning Second Team honors last year. Amanda Roberts, also a junior, is on the All-America Third Team for the second year in a row. This marks the first season in Tufts history that two Jumbos are First Team All-Americans. The three All-American honors in each of the last two years are the most for a single-season at Tufts.
Scholtes, who was the NFHCA's New England West Region Player of the Year, finished with six goals and three assists on offense and was in the middle of a defense that allowed a stingy 0.60 goals against average. Brown, the NESCAC Player of the Year, scored 21 goals with 13 assists for 55 points to finish among the national leaders. Roberts, a two-time NFHCA All-New England West Region selection, is a catalyst to Tufts' offense with her outstanding athleticism and stick-handling skills.
From the Bantams, Dinallo and Sword were joined by Robyn Williams on the Second Team. Dinallo, the 2009 NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year, finished the season ranked third in the country in save percentage (.871). Sword led a defense that allowed just 22 goals this fall while contributing seven goals and four assists. Williams, who earned Second Team honors for the second-straight year, paced her squad with 34 points on 12 goals and 10 assists.
Also on the Second Team was Bowdoin's Ingrid Oelschlager. The All-American nod caps a fantastic junior campaign for Oelschlager, who also garnered First Team All-NESCAC and First-Team All-New England honors in the past two weeks. The junior playmaker started all 16 games in the midfield for Bowdoin this season, scoring four goals to go with six assists. Through three seasons, Oelschlager has 25 goals and 12 assists for a total of 62 points. Her selection marked the 16th consecutive season that at least one Bowdoin player has earned All-American recognition.
Rounding out the NESCAC All-America selections was Amherst senior Tierney Healey on the Third Team. Healey, who was named to the All-NESCAC First Team, led the NESCAC in defensive saves with five stops through 15 outings and headed up a defense that posted six shutouts.
