Oct. 31, 2012
RICHMOND, Va. – Old Dominion University field hockey coach Beth Anders has been honored as the Colonial Athletic Association’s Coach of the Year for the 12th time in her career while redshirt junior back Christy Longacre was tabbed as the CAA Defensive Player of the Year in a vote by the league’s head coaches it was announced by the league office on Wednesday.
Anders adds to her already legendary list of accomplishments with her 12th CAA Coach of the Year award and second consecutive year earning the honor. She guided the Lady Monarchs to their 14th CAA regular season title and their 15th undefeated conference record with a 7-0 mark. ODU, which is 14-5 overall, has been ranked in the top-10 of the NFHCA Top-25 Coaches Poll every week this season, and for 20 consecutive weeks dating back to 2011. ODU has five victories this season over ranked opponents. Anders, who will be retiring at the conclusion of the 2012 season, has a career record of 560-135-7 in 30 years at ODU and has won an NCAA-record nine national titles and 15 CAA titles. Her 560 wins are the most all-time among NCAA Division I coaches.
Longacre (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) becomes the seventh ODU player to be named CAA Defensive Player of the Year and the third straight year the honor has gone to a Lady Monarch. The redshirt junior back was a key component in a Lady Monarchs’ defense that allowed just seven goals in seven CAA contests and recorded two shutouts. Longacre ranks second in the conference with three defensive saves. The team co-captain also made her presence felt on the ODU offense on penalty corners, ranking second on the team with 10 goals while adding four assists.
Also on the All-CAA First Team representing Old Dominion was freshman forward Sarah Breen (Taylors Hill, Australia/Maribyrong College), who is tied for the team lead in goals with 12 and was named the CAA Rookie of the Week on three different occasions while also being named the CAA Player of the Week once as well. Breen is also on the All-Rookie team. She is joined on the first team by junior midfielder and co-captain Kati Nearhouse (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke) who had two goals and two assists and was once again huge on both sides of the ball for the Lady Monarchs.
Sophomore midfielder/back Kelsey Smither (Suffolk, Va./Lakeland) was named to the All-CAA Second Team after she was named the National and CAA Rookie of the Year in 2011. Smither led the team and was tied for first in the conference with 11 assists on the season.
Northeastern senior forward Crystal Poland was named the CAA Field Hockey Player of the Year while teammate freshman forward Deirdre Duke was chosen as the CAA Rookie of the Year.
Poland is the first Northeastern player to receive CAA Player of the Year honors after a sensational senior season. She led the conference in goals (28), points (61), shots (120) and game-winning goals (8), and ranked second in the nation in goals per game (1.56) and fourth in points per game (3.39). Poland, a Crofton, British Columbia native, is the Huskies’ all-time leader in goals (78) and points (176). She was selected to the All-CAA first team during all four seasons at NU and was the CAA Rookie of the Year in 2009.
Duke is the third Northeastern player to be honored as CAA Rookie of the Year in the past five seasons. The freshman forward ranks second in the CAA with 12 goals and fourth in the conference with 30 points. Duke has contributed four game-winning goals and is ninth in the league with six assists.
2012 ALL-CAA FIELD HOCKEY TEAMS
Selected by CAA Field Hockey Coaches
FIRST TEAM
Player, School Cl. Pos. Hometown/High School
Sarah Breen, Old Dominion Fr. M/F Taylors Hill, Australia/Maribyrong College
Maria Caro, William & Mary Sr. M/D Martinsville, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan
Deirdre Duke, Northeastern Fr. F Dublin, Ireland/Alexandra College
Amanda Fleischut, Drexel Sr. M Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West
Christy Longacre, Old Dominion Jr. D Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom
Lindsay McArdle, Drexel Jr. F Upper Darby, Pa./Cardinal O’Hara
Kelsey McKee, Delaware So. D Gap, Pa./Coatesville
Kati Nearhouse, Old Dominion Jr. M Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke
Crystal Poland, Northeastern Sr. F Crofton, British Columbia/Cowichan
Lizzie Priest, Northeastern Sr. GK North Vancouver, British Columbia
Jenna Taylor, James Madison Sr. M Midlothian, Va./James River
SECOND TEAM
Player, School Cl. Pos. Hometown/High School
Jonel Boileau, Hofstra So. F Kelowna, British Columbia/Kelowna
Allison Conti, Northeastern Sr. M Venice, Fla./St. George’s
Nicky Graham, Northeastern Sr. M N. Vancouver, British Columbia/
Lauren Hibshman, Drexel Fr. M/D Allentown, Pa./Parkland
Christine Johnson, W&M Sr. D Williamsburg, Va./Jamestown
Krizia Layne, Hofstra Sr. D Arima, Trinidad/St. Augustine
Michaela Patzner, Delaware Fr. M Rosenheim, Germany/Karolinen Gym.
Kelsey Smither, Old Dominion So. M/D Suffolk, Va./Lakeland
Loes Stijntjes, James Madison Fr. D Belgie, Belgium/Heilig Hartcollege
Rachel Wein, James Madison Jr. F Perryville, Md./Perryville
Lena Wimmert, James Madison Fr. GK Bergisch Gladbach, Germany/Lise-Meitner
Leah Zamesnik, William & Mary Sr. M/F Norfolk, Va./Granby
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Player, School Cl. Pos. Hometown/High School
Sarah Breen, Old Dominion Fr. M/F Taylors Hill, Australia/Maribyrong College
Deirdre Duke, Northeastern Fr. F Dublin, Ireland/Alexandra College
Danielle Grassi, Drexel Fr. M Brookeville, Md./McDonogh
Lauren Hibshman, Drexel Fr. M/D Allentown, Pa./Parkland
Zoe Kale, Northeastern Fr. M Blue Bell, Pa./Wissahickon
Jenna Knouse, Drexel Fr. M Elliottsburg, Pa./West Perry
Charlotte Loehr, Hofstra Fr. M Mainz, Germany/Otto-Shott Gymnasium
Michaela Patzner, Delaware Fr. M Rosenheim, Germany/Karolinen Gym.
Pip Saunders, William & Mary Fr. F/M Mittagong, New South Wales/Bowral
Loes Stijntjes, James Madison Fr. D Belgie, Belgium/Heilig Hartcollege
Lena Wimmert, James Madison Fr. GK Bergisch Gladbach, Germany/Lise-Meitner
2012 CAA Player of the Year: Crystal Poland, Northeastern
2012 CAA Defensive Player of the Year: Christy Longacre, Old Dominion
2012 CAA Rookie of the Year: Deirdre Duke, Northeastern
2012 CAA Coach of the Year: Beth Anders, Old Dominion
Old Dominion (14-5) awaits a possible NCAA at-large berth, which will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 6th at 8 p.m. and streamed live on NCAA.com.
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