NORFOLK, Va. - Redshirt senior back Christy Longacre and junior midfielder Kelsey Smither of the Old Dominion University field hockey team were named to the 2013 Longstretch/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division I All-American Teams.
Longacre, the first ODU player to be named Big East Defensive Player of the Year, was selected to the first team, while Smither made the Second Team. Last year the senior back was named an NFHCA Second Team All-American and CAA Defensive Player of the Year and is the fourth year in a row the honor has gone to a Lady Monarch.
In addition, Longacre is a NFHCA All South Region member, was named to the Big East All-Tournament Team and was selected on the All-Big East First Team. The senior co-captain helped ODU to their first Big East conference regular season title and helped anchor an ODU defense that recorded eight shutouts on the season.
This is the first NFHCA All-America honor for Smither.
Smither finished the year with 16 points and 14 assists. This year the junior co-captain was an NFHCA All-South Region member, named to the Big East All-Tournament Team and the All-Big East First Team during the season.
The junior midfielder led the Lady Monarchs with 14 assists and led the Big East in assists per game, which ranked fourth nationally. She also recorded two assists in the NCAA First Round game and a season high three assists in the 5-0 win against Connecticut.
Old Dominion went 13-8 on the year, won its first Big East Conference regular season title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time under first year Head Coach Andrew Griffiths (Big East Coaching Staff of the Year). The Lady Monarchs will celebrate the 2013 season with their Holiday Party and Senior Celebration Thursday.
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