Six Field Hockey Players Earn NFHCA All-West Region Honors
November 29, 2016 | Field Hockey
Cards place a program and region-best six players on the Longstreth/NFHCA All-West Region teams
The University of Louisville placed a region-best six players on the Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-West Region teams. Erin McCrudden, Ayeisha McFerran, Minout Mink and Nicole Woods earned were named to the first team while Lizzie Gittens and Lotta Kahlert earned second team honors.
Louisville was one of eight teams with six or more players listed on the all-region squads. The six selections are also the most in UofL program history. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) led all leagues with 38 all-region team members.
The Longstreth/NFHCA Division I Regional Players of the Year will be announced on Thursday, with the All-America squad coming out on Dec. 7 and the National Player of the Year on Dec. 14.
"We are very proud of the individual accomplishments of these six young women and it is our best-ever in terms of the number of players selected to the West Region team,"Â said UofL head coach Justine Sowry. "With that being said, I am sure that these recipients would give it back if we were able to take the program and team one step further in postseason play. This acknowledgement is a great indication and reflection of our body of work as a team and the solidification as one of the premier programs in our region. We are now consistently being recognized as a team and with that comes the individual recognition which, ultimately, is a great indicator that we are continuing to have forward progress."
McCrudden, a senior midfielder from Putnam Valley, N.Y., is making her second straight all-region appearance after being selected to the second team last season. The 2016 All-ACC second team member led the league with 18 assists and was tied for second on the team with 22 points. The team co-captain earned ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 18 after scoring the game-winning goal against then-No. 3 North Carolina. She was also selected to play in the NFHCA Senior Game.
McFerran, a sophomore from Larne, Northern Ireland, earns first team all-region honors for the second straight year. The goalkeeper was named to the 2016 All-ACC team and finished the season with a league-best 1.27 goals against average and six shutouts. She was named ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 18. She is also a 2015 NFHCA All-American and All-West Region first team selection.
Mink, a forward from Haaksbergen, Netherlands, led the team with 15 goals and 33 points. She was also tied atop conference standings with five game-winning goals. The All-ACC second team member is ninth on Louisville's list for goals scored in a single season.
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Woods, a junior from Beverly, Mass., earns all-region honors for the second consecutive season. The two-time All-ACC team member had five goals and 10 assists and finished fourth on the team with 20 points while earning ACC Offensive Player of the Week twice. She is a member of the USA U-21 team is currently playing in the 2016 Junior World Cup in Santiago, Chile.Â
Gittens, a graduate student from Southampton, England, started every game in her lone season for the Cardinals. The defender stood third on the team with six goals – including three game-winners - and had 15 points. She helped anchor a defense which has produced six shutouts and limited opponents to 21 goals in 21 games for a 1.22 team goals against average.
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Kahlert, a senior midfielder from Hamburg, Germany finished second on the team with nine goals and was third with 21 points - both career-bests. The team co-captain was named ACC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 18.
Louisville finished the 2016 season with a 15-6 overall record and posted a 3-3 mark in the ACC to finish tied for third in the regular season standings. Â After earning the No. 4 seed in the ACC championship, the Cardinals went on to receive their third straight at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, but fell 1-0 to eventual national champion Delaware.
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Louisville was one of eight teams with six or more players listed on the all-region squads. The six selections are also the most in UofL program history. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) led all leagues with 38 all-region team members.
The Longstreth/NFHCA Division I Regional Players of the Year will be announced on Thursday, with the All-America squad coming out on Dec. 7 and the National Player of the Year on Dec. 14.
"We are very proud of the individual accomplishments of these six young women and it is our best-ever in terms of the number of players selected to the West Region team,"Â said UofL head coach Justine Sowry. "With that being said, I am sure that these recipients would give it back if we were able to take the program and team one step further in postseason play. This acknowledgement is a great indication and reflection of our body of work as a team and the solidification as one of the premier programs in our region. We are now consistently being recognized as a team and with that comes the individual recognition which, ultimately, is a great indicator that we are continuing to have forward progress."
McCrudden, a senior midfielder from Putnam Valley, N.Y., is making her second straight all-region appearance after being selected to the second team last season. The 2016 All-ACC second team member led the league with 18 assists and was tied for second on the team with 22 points. The team co-captain earned ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 18 after scoring the game-winning goal against then-No. 3 North Carolina. She was also selected to play in the NFHCA Senior Game.
McFerran, a sophomore from Larne, Northern Ireland, earns first team all-region honors for the second straight year. The goalkeeper was named to the 2016 All-ACC team and finished the season with a league-best 1.27 goals against average and six shutouts. She was named ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 18. She is also a 2015 NFHCA All-American and All-West Region first team selection.
Mink, a forward from Haaksbergen, Netherlands, led the team with 15 goals and 33 points. She was also tied atop conference standings with five game-winning goals. The All-ACC second team member is ninth on Louisville's list for goals scored in a single season.
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Woods, a junior from Beverly, Mass., earns all-region honors for the second consecutive season. The two-time All-ACC team member had five goals and 10 assists and finished fourth on the team with 20 points while earning ACC Offensive Player of the Week twice. She is a member of the USA U-21 team is currently playing in the 2016 Junior World Cup in Santiago, Chile.Â
Gittens, a graduate student from Southampton, England, started every game in her lone season for the Cardinals. The defender stood third on the team with six goals – including three game-winners - and had 15 points. She helped anchor a defense which has produced six shutouts and limited opponents to 21 goals in 21 games for a 1.22 team goals against average.
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Kahlert, a senior midfielder from Hamburg, Germany finished second on the team with nine goals and was third with 21 points - both career-bests. The team co-captain was named ACC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 18.
Louisville finished the 2016 season with a 15-6 overall record and posted a 3-3 mark in the ACC to finish tied for third in the regular season standings. Â After earning the No. 4 seed in the ACC championship, the Cardinals went on to receive their third straight at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, but fell 1-0 to eventual national champion Delaware.
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Players Mentioned
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