Caroline Nichols Named CAA Field Hockey Player and Defensive Player of the Year

Nov. 3, 2006

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Old Dominion senior defender Caroline Nichols (Virginia Beach, Va.), who has led the Lady Monarchs to a No. 3 national ranking and a perfect 8-0 conference record, was named the CAA Field Hockey Player and Defensive Player of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches. Additionally Lady Monarch head coach Beth Anders was tabbed as the CAA Coach of the Year. The conference presented its year-end awards Friday night in Virginia Beach on the eve of the semifinals of the CAA Field Hockey Championship.

Also receiving top field hockey honors from the conference was James Madison freshman forward Meghan Bain as CAA Rookie of the Year.

Nichols anchored an Old Dominion defensive unit that leads the nation in goals against average (0.64 GAA), having allowed only 13 goals in 20 games.

The Lady Monarchs have recorded 11 shutouts, with seven of those coming in conference play. Nichols has also contributed offensively, ranking fourth on the team with 21 points on nine goals and three assists. The senior back has posted a team-high four game-winning goals, including the deciding goals against nationally ranked foes Duke, North Carolina and Michigan.

Nichols is the ninth different ODU player to receive the CAA's top award, but is the first in league history to sweep Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors in the same season.

Anders earns her ninth CAA Coach of the Year award following Old Dominion's sensational 18-2 campaign. The Lady Monarchs went undefeated in conference play for the 12th time and outscored their opponents 42-2 in eight league contests. Old Dominion is ranked No. 3 in the latest STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll and its only two losses this year are to #1 Maryland by 1-0 scores. Anders is in her 24th season at the helm of the Lady Monarchs' field hockey squad, and has increased her all-time Division I-leading career victories total to 479.

Bain meanwhile had a spectacular rookie season for a James Madison squad that is ranked #17 in the nation and finished second in the CAA with a 6-2 mark. The freshman forward led the Dukes and ranked third in the CAA in both goals (15) and points (34), and also dished out four assists. Bain has recorded eight game-winning goals, which is tied for the national lead, and she contributed the winning goal in five of JMU's six CAA triumphs.

ODU and Hofstra led all schools with four players selected to the All-CAA first team. Joining Nichols from ODU were senior midfielder Dana Sensenig (16g, 15a), sophomore midfielder Denise Admiraal (12g, 4a) and sophomore goalkeeper Kelly Driscoll (0.64 GAA, 11 shutouts). James Madison was represented by Bain and senior midfielder Baillie Versfeld (4g, 4a), who made the first team for the third year in a row. Making the squad from Hofstra were sophomore forward/midfielder Charlia Warner (20g, 5a) and senior midfielder Kara McEneaney (8g, 3a), while Northeastern placed junior midfielder Ashley Webber (6g, 3a) and senior forward Whitney Shean (4g,12a) on the team. Rounding out the unit was William & Mary senior forward Gina Cimarelli, who topped the Tribe with 21 points (7g, 7a).

Sensenig (Denver, Pa.) nationally ranks 13th in points per game (2.35), 20th in goals per game (0.80), and sixth in assists per game (0.75). She also remains the nation's leader in penalty strokes with four. Among her CAA counterparts, Sensenig leads the league in points (47), assists (15), and assists per game (0.75), and is second in points per game (2.35), goals (16), and goals per game (0.80). She leads the team in goals, assists, and points and was a multiple goal scorer in contests against Ohio, Duke, Drexel, and Virginia Commonwealth.

Admiraal (Heillo, Holland) is fourth in points (28), fourth in points per game (1.40), goals (12), and goals per game (0.60) in the CAA. As the Lady Monarchs' second leading scorer she posted a hat trick against Towson and was also multiple scorer against William & Mary. Admiraal had two game-winners under her belt during the regular season capturing game-winners against Virginia and the first meeting against North Carolina.

Driscoll (West Chester, Pa.), who is in her first year in the cage for Old Dominion, leads the nation in goals against average (0.64) and is sixth in save percentage (.806), while in league action she tops the charts in both categories. She has only allowed nine opponents to score and only three teams to score more than one goal. Driscoll has collected 11 shutouts overall and seven in CAA action. All but one CAA opponent were shutout during the 2006 season.

Two Lady Monarchs were named to CAA Second Team, senior forward Darcy Pinchbeck (Suffolk, Va.) and sophomore defender Daphne Admiraal (Heillo, Holland). Pinchbeck is Old Dominion's fourth leading scorer having registered a hat trick against Virginia Commonwealth. Additionally she notched game-winners in victories over Richmond and Delaware. Admiraal helped anchor ODU's top-ranked defense helping to hold opponent to only 23 shots while collecting 98 as a team. She also led the team with two defensive saves.

Driscoll was joined by fellow classman Titia Beek (Heillo, Holland) on the CAA All-Rookie Team. Beek appeared in 18 contests as a freshman making eight starts. She recorded two goals against Hofstra and also had assists against Northeastern and James Madison.

The Lady Monarchs begin their quest for their 14th CAA title and the CAA's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament at the National Training Center this weekend in Virginia Beach. The top seeded Lady Monarchs take on the fourth seeded Northeastern Huskies on Saturday at noon in one semifinal, while in the other semifinal the second seeded James Madison Dukes and third seeded Hofstra Pride battle at 2:30 p.m. The winners advance to Sunday's championship game at 1:00 p.m.

2006 ALL-CAA FIELD HOCKEY TEAM(As selected by CAA Field Hockey Coaches)

First Team

Second Team

2006 CAA Player of the Year: Caroline Nichols, Old Dominion
2006 CAA Defensive Player of the Year: Caroline Nichols, Old Dominion
2006 CAA Rookie of the Year: Meghan Bain, James Madison
2006 CAA Coach of the Year: Beth Anders, Old Dominion

* denotes All-CAA first team in 2005# denotes All-CAA second team in 2005

2006 CAA FIELD HOCKEY ALL-ROOKIE TEAM(As selected by CAA Field Hockey Coaches)