Five MAAC Student-Athletes Named to NFHCA All-Region Teams
GILBERT, AZ - The Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division I All-Region squads were announced on Monday with 160 student-athletes receiving either first or second-team recognition across the five regions.
The All-Region lists included the Mid-Atlantic, Mideast, Northeast, South and West. The All-Region squads consisted of 63 seniors, 49 juniors, 25 sophomores and 23 freshmen, based on year of eligibility during the 2017 season.
Mid-Atlantic Region
First Team
| Julie Laszlo |
Monmouth |
Sr. |
D |
Julie Laszlo was named the 2017 MAAC Field Hockey Player of the Year. Laszlo repeats as MAAC Field Hockey Player of the Year after leading the conference in points (39), points per game (2.29), total assists (23) and assists per game (1.35). Her 23 assists and 1.35 assists per game are best in the NCAA. Her eight goals this season ranks fifth in the MAAC.
Laszlo was also named MAAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year for the Hawks. Contributing on both sides of the ball, Laszlo and the Monmouth defense only allowed six goals to opponents in MAAC play and 22 all season. Monmouth led the MAAC with a 1.29 goals allowed per game average. The senior also recorded two defensive saves this season.
Second Team
| Josephine van der Hoop |
Monmouth |
So. |
F |
Josephine van der Hoop was named the 2017 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year. Van der Hoop ranked third in the MAAC with 29 overall points and 1.71 points per game. Her 12 total goals and 0.71 goals per game are second best in the MAAC. The sophomore was a unanimous selection for this award.
Mideast Region
Second Team
| Erin Buckley |
Fairfield |
Sr. |
D |
| Hannah Pike |
Fairfield |
Sr. |
F/M |
| Nichole Tolli |
Sacred Heart |
Sr. |
M |
Buckley, the Stags senior defender helped anchor a back line that only allowed seven goals to opponents in conference play. Buckely earned All-MAAC First Team honors for the second consecutive season.
Pike was named 2017 MAAC Field Hockey Championship MVP after leading Fairfield to its second MAAC Field Hockey Championship in the last three years. She was named to the All-MAAC Second team. Pike finished the season with 24 points (9G, 6A) which is tied for fourth-best in the conference.
Tolli was one of three players this season to be a unanimous First-Team All-MAAC selection, after being named to the All-MAAC Second Team in each of her first three seasons. The midfielder led the Pioneers with 16 points and six goals and shared the team lead with four assists this season. Tolli ranked in the top-10 in the MAAC in all three of those categories.
Seventeen schools had at least four student-athletes make the All-Region squad, led by national champion Connecticut with eight in the Mideast Region. Penn State had seven selections in the Mideast, while schools with six honorees included Princeton (Mid-Atlantic), Maryland (Mid-Atlantic), Syracuse (Mideast), Virginia (South) and Michigan (West). Saint Josephs (Mid-Atlantic), Duke (South) and Louisville (West) all had five honorees, while schools with four honorees were Delaware (Mid-Atlantic), Massachusetts (Northeast), Albany (Northeast), Harvard (Northeast), North Carolina (South), Northwestern (West) and Stanford (West).