BOSTON--Northeastern University, the top seed in this weekend's America East Field Hockey Championship, took each of the top four post-season conference honors in voting conducted by the coaches. Junior Sarah Broderick and senior Kelly Williams were named Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively. First-year forward Liane Dixon was chosen Rookie of the Year. Head coach Cheryl Murtagh, now in her 14th season with the Huskies, was named America East Coach of the Year for the fourth time in her career.
Broderick is currently ninth in America East scoring with 10 goals and four assists for 24 points. Williams has led a defense which leads America East in goals against average at 1.29. Dixon leads the Huskies and is fourth in America East scoring with 11 goals and five assists for 27 points. Murtagh has directed the Huskies to a perfect 9-0 mark in America East and a 14-6 record overall this season. She is 203-96-10 in her career at Northeastern.
Williams and Broderick are joined by two other teammates on the all-conference first team. Junior midfielder Fior Arrindell, who has six goals and two assists for 14 points, and senior goalkeeper Kathleen Madaus, who is 10-6 and leads America East with a 1.30 goals against average, were the other Huskies honored on the first team. They are joined by Boston University junior forward Jane Rogers, University of Delaware senior back Juli Byrd, Drexel University senior forward Pamie Zukowski, Hofstra University senior midfielder Allison Barnett, senior back Morgan Brady and junior midfielder Jen Johnstone of University of Maine, and University of New Hampshire junior forward Marcie Boyer. The first-team all-conference squad consists of the top 10 field players in the conference, regardless of position, and a goalkeeper.
Rogers, who has earned all-conference honors in each of her three years in America East, has nine goals and three assists for 21 points. Byrd, a four-time all-conference selection, leads America East in scoring with 13 goals and four assists for 30 points. Zukowski, who earned first-team honors in each of the last three seasons, has scored 10 goals with five assists for 25 points. Barnett is second in America East scoring with 12 goals and eight assists for 32 points. Johnstone ranks third in America East scoring with 10 goals and five assists for 25 points. Brady, who is pursuing her master's degree at Maine, played three seasons at Boston College, before joining the Black Bears this year. Boyer leads the Wildcats with eight goals and an assist for 17 points.
Dixon and Delaware forward Leah Geib were the only two rookies named to the all-conference second-team. Other field players on the second team were senior midfielder Amy DiMicco of University at Albany, senior forward Felicia Cappabianca of Boston University, junior midfielder Kelly Coyle of Delaware, junior midfielder Kristina Backenstose of Drexel, junior midfielders Tara Byrne and Shannon Watson of Hofstra, junior back Cameron Schmitz of New Hampshire and junior forward Sara Mercanti of University of Vermont. Junior Susan Harrington of Boston University is the second-team goalkeeper.
Dixon and Geib are joined on the all-rookie team by Kara Rossi and Meredith Long of Boston University, Erica LaBar of Delaware, Miranda Benicki of Drexel, Brittany Schneider and Christine Buckley of New Hampshire, Ali Bolster and Mari Creatini of Northeastern and Julie Lambi of Towson University.
Eight of the first-team all-conference players and five from the second team will be in action this weekend at the America East Field Hockey Championship. No. 1 Northeastern meets No. 4 Maine at 3 p.m. Friday, November 2 with No. 2 Boston University and No. 3 Delaware at 5:30 p.m. The winners meet in Sunday's championship game at 2 p.m. All games will be played at Sweeney Field on Huntington Avenue, adjacent to the Northeastern campus.
America East Field Hockey teams include Albany, Boston University, Delaware, Drexel, Hofstra, Maine, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Towson and Vermont.
First Team (10 field players regardless of position and a goalkeeper)
Jane Rogers (1), Jr., Boston University
Juli Byrd (2), Sr., Delaware
Pamie Zukowski (3), Sr., Drexel
Allison Barnett, Sr., Hofstra
Morgan Brady, Sr., Maine
Jen Johnstone, Jr., Maine
Marcie Boyer (4), Jr., New Hampshire
Fior Arrindell (5), Jr., Northeastern
Sarah Broderick, Jr., Northeastern
Kelly Williams (5), Sr., Northeastern
Kathleen Madaus (GK) (6), Sr., Northeastern
Second Team (10 field players regardless of position and a goalkeeper)
Amy DiMicco, Sr., Albany
Felicia Cappabianca (4), Sr., Boston University
Kelly Coyle, Jr., Delaware
Leah Geib, Fr., Delaware
Kristina Backenstose (4), Jr., Drexel
Tara Byrne, Jr., Hofstra
Shannon Watson Jr., Hofstra
Cameron Schmitz (7), Jr., New Hampshire
Liane Dixon, Fr., Northeastern
Sara Mercanti, Jr., Vermont
Susan Harrington (GK) (4), Jr., Boston University
All-Rookie Team (11 players regardless of position)
Kara Rossi, Boston University
Meredith Long, Boston University
Erica LaBar, Delaware
Leah Geib, Delaware
Miranda Benicki, Drexel
Christine Buckley, New Hampshire
Brittany Schneider, New Hampshire
Ali Bolster, Northeastern
Mari Creatini, Northeastern
Liane Dixon, Northeastern
Julie Lambi, Towson
Offensive Player of the Year: Sarah Broderick, Northeastern
Defensive Player of the Year: Kelly Williams, Northeastern
Rookie of the Year: Liane Dixon, Northeastern
Coach of the Year: Cheryl Murtagh, Northeastern
(1) first-team all-conference, 2000; second team all-conference, 1999
(2) first team all-conference, 2000, 1999; second team all-conference, 1998
(3) first-team all-conference, 2000, 1999
(4) second-team all-conference, 2000
(5) first-team all-conference, 2000
(6) first-team all-conference, 1998
(7) second-team all-conference, 1998, 1997