GANSEVOORT, N.Y. – The North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) has announced its 2016 Field Hockey All-Conference selections, with first-team honors being awarded to 10 field players and one goalkeeper, as selected by the conference coaches. 

The conference has also announced its individual award winners, as also selected by the conference coaches. 

 

Morrisville State College junior Lauren Kellum (Eaton, N.Y.) was named the NEAC Offensive Player of the Year following an excellent season for the Mustangs.  The forward tallied 15 points on six goals and three assists this season, which included NEAC highs of two goals and four points against conference competition.  Kellum also consistently kept up the offense pressure while starting in all 17 Mustang contests, firing a conference-most 56 shots on the year.  A two-time NEAC Offensive Player of the Week selection, Kellum was also named to the All-Conference First Team.  

 

 

Keuka College sophomore Elizabeth Sherman (Auburn, N.Y.) was chosen as the NEAC Defensive Player of the Year.  Last year’s NEAC Player and Rookie of the Year, Sherman followed that up with another excellent season for the Wolves.  The goalie started in 13 Keuka contests this year, making a conference-most 154 saves with a .766 save percentage while logging 837 minutes between the pipes.  Sherman’s save total also ranked her in the top 10 nationally across all of NCAA Division III players.    

 

 

 

Morrisville State College freshman Meredith Koziol (Waterford, N.Y.) took home NEAC Rookie of the Year honors following a terrific debut season for the Mustangs.  Starting all 17 Morrisville contests in goal, Koziol logged a conference-best 1,148 minutes while also leading all keepers with four shutouts, in addition to being second in saves (132), save percentage (.772) and goals-against average (2.38).  Koziol, a two-time NEAC Defensive Player of the Week honoree, allowed just one goal during conference play while posting a 2-1 record. 

 

 

 

Wells College head coach Katrina Heterbring was selected by her peers as the NEAC Coach of the Year.  Heterbring led her defending-champion Express to another excellent season, as they captured the conference’s regular season title with a 2-1 record.  That earned her squad the right to host the NAC West* divisional tournament championship as the top seed this weekend.  

 

 

 

Below are the 2016 NEAC Field Hockey All-Conference First Team selections:

*Beginning in the 2016-17 season, NEAC full members Keuka College, Wells College and Wilson College will become associate members of the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) and will represent the West Division.  NAC members Castleton University, Colby-Sawyer College, Husson University, University of Maine-Farmington, New England College and Thomas (Me.) College will make up the East Division.   

Each division will conduct regular season competition before holding divisional rounds of the NAC Tournament.  The two divisional champions will then square off to proclaim an overall champion, who will then earn the NAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Field Hockey Championship Tournament.  

***********************************************************************************************************************************************
The North Eastern Athletic Conference has fourteen NCAA Division III member institutions which include: Bryn Athyn College, Cazenovia College, College of St. Elizabeth, Gallaudet University, Keuka College, Lancaster Bible College, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Pennsylvania State University - Abington, Pennsylvania State University - Berks, SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Institute of Technology, SUNY Morrisville State College, Wells College, and Wilson College.  Associate members are: Cedar Crest College (W Swimming), D’Youville College (M Volleyball), Hilbert College (M Lacrosse & M Volleyball), Medaille College (M&W Lacrosse & M Volleyball), Penn State Altoona (M Volleyball) and Rutgers University - Camden (M Golf).  The North Eastern Athletic Conference has partnered with the North Atlantic Conference in the sports of field hockey and men’s and women’s tennis.