Nov. 7, 2003
NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion University senior midfielder Angie Loy (Loysville, Pa./West Perry), who leads the Colonial Athletic Association in goals, assists and total points this season, was named the CAA Field Hockey Player of the Year, while senior defender Melissa Leonetti (Erdenheim, PA) was named the CAA Defensive Player of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches. The CAA presented its year-end awards Friday night in Norfolk on the eve of the 2003 CAA Field Hockey Championship.
Also receiving top field hockey honors from the CAA were ODU senior defender Melissa Leonetti (Erdenheim, Pa./Springfield Township) as the league's Defensive Player of the Year, Virginia Commonwealth University freshman midfielder Karlijn Jansen (Amstelveen, Netherlands/Keizer Korel) as the Rookie of the Year and VCU's Shelly Behrens as the Coach of the Year.
Loy tops the conference in every offensive category, tallying 18 goals, 17 assists and 53 total points. She ranks second among Division I players in points, third in assists and eighth in goals, and had a hand in over half of the Lady Monarchs' scores in 2003. The senior forward also recorded a team-high five game-winning goals. Loy, who earned first-team All-America accolades last season, is sixth in career points (194), tied for seventh in career goals (71) and ninth in career assists (52) at ODU. This is the eighth consecutive year that an Old Dominion player has been honored as CAA Player of the Year.
Leonetti anchored an Old Dominion defense that posted shutouts in four of its seven conference games. The senior back also ranks third on the team and seventh in the CAA with eight assists. Leonetti is a three-time All-CAA selection and received second-team All-America honors a year ago.
Jansen started all 19 games for VCU as a freshman and ranked third on the team with 14 points. The midfielder leads the Rams and is ninth in the CAA with six assists and her four goals is tied for third on the team. Jansen turned in the top offensive performance by a conference player this season when she recorded four goals and nine total points in a win over St. Francis (Pa.).
Behrens guided VCU to a 10-9 overall mark and a fourth-place finish in the CAA with a 4-3 record. The 10 overall victories are the most for the Rams since 1993 and their four conference wins are the most since 1992. VCU posted one of the biggest wins in school history on Oct. 26, defeating Old Dominion 5-4 to snap the Lady Monarchs' 58-game CAA winning streak that dated back to 1996.
The CAA also announced its all-conference team at the banquet, which included Loy and Leonetti from Old Dominion. Representing William & Mary on the first team were senior forward Kelly McQuade (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West), senior defender Kelli Duggan (Williamsburg, Va./Lafayette), senior forward Jordan Steele (Williamsburg, Va./Walsingham Academy) and senior goalkeeper Stacey Gaenzle (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township). Making the first team from Delaware were junior midfielder/back Jessi Balmer (Telford, Pa./Christopher Dock) and junior midfielder Erica LaBar (New Castle, Del./William Penn). Named from Hofstra were senior defender Kathryn Sergi (Greene, N.Y./Greene Central) and freshman goalkeeper Jessica Cowperthwait (Wilmington, Del./Wilmington Friends School). Rounding out the squad were James Madison senior forward Janelle Perlis (Hunlock Creek, Pa./Lake-Lehman) and VCU senior forward Jennifer Howard (Virginia Beach, Va./Kellam).
2003 ALL-CAA FIELD HOCKEY TEAM
(Selected by CAA Field Hockey Coaches)
First Team
Name, School Cl. Pos. Hometown/High SchoolAngie Loy, Old Dominion * Sr. MF Loysville, Pa./West PerryJessi Balmer, Delaware Jr. MF/B Telford, Pa./Christopher DockMelissa Leonetti, Old Dominion* Sr. D Erdenheim, Pa./Springfield TownshipKelly McQuade, William & Mary Sr. F Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks WestJanelle Perlis, James Madison* Sr. F Hunlock Creek, Pa./Lake-LehmanJennifer Howard, Virginia Commonwealth Sr. F Virginia Beach, Va./KellamKelli Duggan, William & Mary Sr. D Williamsburg, Va./LafayetteKathryn Sergi, Hofstra Sr. D Greene, N.Y./Greene CentralJordan Steele, William & Mary Sr. F Williamsburg, Va./Walsingham AcademyErica LaBar, Delaware* Jr. MF New Castle, Del./William PennStacey Gaenzle, William & Mary Sr. GK Lancaster, Pa./Manheim TownshipJessica Cowperthwait, Hofstra Fr. GK Wilmington, Del./Wilmington Friends School
Second Team
Name, School Cl. Pos. Hometown/High SchoolCasey Smith, Virginia Commonwealth Jr. MF Virginia Beach, Va./TallwoodKatie Evans, Delaware Fr. F/MF Newton Square, Pa./Villa Maria AcademyKarlijn Jansen, Virginia Commonwealth Fr. MF Amstelveen, Netherlands/Keizer KorelChilly Banuelos, Old Dominion So. MF Escondido, Calif./San PasqualJessica Breault, Delaware Sr. F Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug RegionalAnna Davis, William & Mary So. D Richmond, Va./James RiverJulie Lambi, Towson# Jr. F Fleetwood, Pa./Oley ValleyBaillie Versfeld, James Madison Fr. MF Bulawayo, Zimbabwe/Dominion ConventKarie Walton, Drexel Fr. D Spring City, Pa./Owen J.RobertsJanelle Engle, Old Dominion So. D Mt. Joy, Pa./Lancaster MennoniteAbby Stiles, Virginia Commonwealth Sr. GK Virginia Beach, Va./Kempsville
2003 CAA Player of the Year: Angie Loy, Old Dominion
2003 CAA Defensive Player of the Year: Melissa Leonetti, Old Dominion
2003 CAA Rookie of the Year: Karlijn Jansen, Virginia Commonwealth
2003 CAA Coach of the Year: Shelly Behrens, Virginia Commonwealth
* denotes All-CAA first team in 2002# denotes All-CAA second team in 2002