NORFOLK, Va. – Six members of the Old Dominion field hockey team have been selected to the 2014 All-BIG EAST teams as announced by the conference office on Wednesday, Nov. 5. The accolades were voted on by the league’s six head coaches.
Seniors Kelsey Smither (Suffolk, Va.) and Rosario Villagra (Salta, Argentina), along with junior Sarah Breen (Melbourne, Australia) were named to the first team, while senior Katy Fuhrman (Columbia, Pa.), junior Caitlin Walsh (Downingtown, Pa.) and sophomore Megan Byas (Driffield, England) earned second team laurels. Top-ranked Connecticut led the way with seven selections to the All-BIG EAST squads, while ODU ranked second with six.
Smither is just one of five athletes in the history of the ODU program to be honored in all four years of her career. The midfielder ranks second on the team in assists with six in 18 games this year. Smither is also part of the defensive unit that has allowed just 27 goals and posted six shutouts. She has started in all 85 contests in which she has played over her career and has notched 56 points on 44 assists and six goals. At the start of the season, Smither was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.
Villagra, a three-time all-conference nominee, earned her second consecutive first team nod. She currently leads the team with 26 points on eight goals and a team-leading 10 assists. She ranks sixth in the conference in points per game (1.44) and fourth in assists per game (0.56). Villagra has notched 102 points on 35 goals and 32 assists during her career. Along with Smither, she was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team and earned Player of the Week honors twice during the year.
Breen was tabbed to the first team, earning all-conference accolades for the third-consecutive year. The junior midfielder is currently first on the team in goals (10), which ranks sixth in the conference, and is second in points (22). She also leads the team with four game-winning goals. For her efforts, she was named to the Player of the Week Honor Roll twice this season. Breen has notched 81 career points on 34 goals and 13 assists.
A Columbia, Pa. Native, Fuhrman picked up her first career all-conference nod. She started in every contest as a forward for the Lady Monarchs this season, ranking third on the team with 16 points on eight goals. She notched one game-winning goal and an impressive .600 shots on goal percentage.
Walsh earned second team laurels after collecting five points on two goals and one assist as a member of the back line. The redshirt junior started in all 18 games for Old Dominion and helped lead the defense to six shutouts, allowing its opponents just 1.5 goals per game.
Byas is making her first appearance on the all-conference team after collecting nine points on three goals and three assists as a defender. One of her three goals was the game-winner against No. 6 Virginia. She anchored the back line to six shutouts and a 1.48 goals-against average that ranks second in the BIG EAST. During the season, she was named the Player of the Week (Sept. 10) and has made an appearance on the honor roll.
ODU (11-7, 4-1 BIG EAST) heads to the BIG EAST Championship as the No. 2 seed and will take on No. 3 seed Temple (13-6, 3-2 BIG EAST) in the semifinals Friday, Nov. 7 at 1:00 p.m. in Providence, R.I. The game will be broadcast on BIG EAST Digital Network and Fox Sports Go.
Including the 11-person All-BIG EAST Second Team, the Huskies led all teams with seven all-league certificates, including a conference-best four first-team honors. Old Dominion, the No. 2 seed in the upcoming BIG EAST Championship, listed second with six honorees (three per team), followed by No. 4 Providence with five. Third-seeded Temple had four players garner all-league recognition, while Villanova received two certificates and Georgetown collected one.
BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year
Amber Youtz, Temple, Sr., F
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Roisin Upton, Connecticut, Jr., B*
BIG EAST Rookie of the Year
Charlotte Veitner, Connecticut, Fr., F
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
Connecticut
All-BIG EAST First Team^
Daniella Bernasconi, Providence, Sr., F
Sophie Bowden, Connecticut, Jr., F/M
Sarah Breen, Old Dominion, Jr., M*
Chrissy Davidson, Connecticut, Sr., M*
Kayla Kenney, Villanova, Jr., F/M
Nicole Kroener, Temple, Sr., M
Kate Malone, Providence, Grad., M*
Anna Middendorf, Connecticut, So. , B
Lizzy Millen, Temple, Sr., GK
Kelsey Smither, Old Dominion, Sr., M*
Henni Tietze, Providence, Sr., B
Roisin Upton, Connecticut, Jr., B*
Rosario Villagra, Old Dominion, Sr., F*
Amber Youtz, Temple, Sr., F*
^extra members were added due to a tie in voting
*unanimous selection
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Olivia Bolles, Connecticut, So., B/M
Megan Byas, Old Dominion, So., B
Deidra Clymer, Providence, Sr., GK
Alyssa Delp, Temple, Jr., M
Katy Fuhrman, Old Dominion, R-Sr., F
Aliyah Graves-Brown, Georgetown, So., F
Megan Hamilton, Providence, Fr., F
Nina Klein, Connecticut, R-Fr., GK
Jess Swoboda, Villanova, Sr., F/M
Charlotte Veitner, Connecticut, Fr., F
Caitlin Walsh, Old Dominion, R-Jr., M
*unanimous selection
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