Forward Pam Spuehler and head coach Sally Starr of Boston University were named America East Rookie and Coach of the Year, respectively, at the conference's annual awards banquet on the Boston University campus. Senior forward Liane Dixon and junior back Lauren Edelmeier of Northeastern University were named Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year. All conference voting was conducted by the conference's head coaches.
Spuehler is tied for fourth on the Terriers in scoring with six goals and one assist for 13 points. She has helped lead Boston University to a perfect 6-0 mark in America East as the No. 1 seed in the conference championship and a 12-6 record overall.
Starr, now in her 24th year as head coach of the Terriers, has a record of 280-181-19. Starr, who has earned America East Coach of the Year honors five times, has guided the Terriers to seven America East regular-season titles, four championships and seven appearances in the NCAA Championship, including a run to the national semifinals in 1985.
Dixon leads America East in both goals (18) and points (47) and has helped the Huskies to a 15-3 overall mark.
Edelmeier leads the conference's top-rated defense which has allowed 0.85 goals per game. She also ranks fourth in America East with seven assists.
Dixon and Edelmeier are joined on the all-conference first team by junior forward Tina Bryson of University at Albany, senior back Lauren Vendetti and junior midfielder Colleen McClay of Boston University, senior back Liz Mendell and senior forward Rachel Hilgar of University of Maine, senior back Brittany Schneider of University of New Hampshire, senior forward Mari Creatini of Northeastern, junior midfielder Merrie-Beth Maynard and junior goalkeeper Ariel Eber of University of Vermont.
Bryson is 10th in America East scoring with nine goals and an assist for 19 points. Vendetti and Hilgar, a second-team choice in 2003, each have 10 goals and three assists for 23 points, to rank fifth in America East. McClay is second in America East with 14 assists. Creatini, the 2003 America East Offensive Player of the Year, is second in scoring to her teammate Dixon, with 17 goals and three assists for 37 points. Eber, who posted a 3.38 goals against average, ranked second in America East with 7.25 saves per game.
The all-conference second team includes midfielder Danielle Costello of Albany, senior forward Kara Rossi and Spuehler of Boston University, junior back Meagan Connolly and junior goalkeeper Jamie Morin of Maine, sophomore midfielder Julie Moore of UMBC, sophomore forward Caitlin Gillen and senior forward Heidi Anderson of New Hampshire, senior back Alli Bolster and junior midfielder Jay Quinn of Northeastern and rookie forward Danielle Collins of Vermont.
Connolly is tied for eighth in America East with five assists. Morin ranks second in the conference with a 1.29 goals against average. Moore is seventh in America East with nine goals and ninth in scoring with 21 points. Bollster leads America East with 15 assists. Quinn is tied for seventh in the conference with 20 points.
Spuehler and Collins are joined on the all-rookie team by Kristen Holder and Danielle Conklin of Albany, Sarah Hudak of Boston University, Ashly Meehan of UMBC, Liz Edwards and Kate Gedney of New Hampshire, Ashley D'Ambra and Ashley Webber of Northeastern, and Katie Flynn of Vermont.
Eight of the first-team selections and eight of the second-team selections will be in action this week at the America East Field Hockey Championship at Jack Barry Field in Cambridge, Mass. No. 2 Northeastern meets No. 3 Maine at 11:30 a.m. Friday. No. 1 Boston University plays host to No. 4 New Hampshire at 2 p.m. The championship game will be held at Barry Field, Sunday at 11:30 a.m.