Three Field Hockey Players Earn Longstreth/NFHCA All-America Honors
December 05, 2017 | Field Hockey
McFerran and Woods selected to first team, Stone named to third team
Three University of Louisville field hockey players earned Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) honors as announced Tuesday. Senior Nicole Woods and junior Ayeisha McFerran were selected to the first team while junior Taylor Stone was named to the third team. Louisville now has garnered 18 All-America selections since 2001.
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"This is fantastic news for our program and these individuals," said UofL head coach Justine Sowry. "This is the first time we have had two first team and three overall All-Americans and is a testament to how far our program has come, the season that we had and of course the work that Taylor, Ayeisha and Nicole have put in. Our mentality is we all make each other better and our team has pushed these individuals to be the best that they can be. What a great reward!"
Louisville is one of six schools with three or more on the All-America teams. The Cardinals are joined by fellow ACC programs Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse as well as Michigan with three selections. National champion Connecticut led all schools with five All-Americans.
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McFerran, a junior from Larne, Northern Ireland picks up her third consecutive All-America honor, earning first-team recognition for the second straight year. The goalkeeper becomes the second three-time All-American in the history of the program, joining Jessica Javelet who achieved the accolade from 2004 through 2006.
After missing the first three games of the season due to injury, McFerran went on to post a 10-7 record and a 1.91 goals against average. During the regular season, she earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors after helping the Cardinals to a key league win in a shootout against Wake Forest. The three-time NFHCA All-West Region and All-ACC selection cemented her status as one of the nation's top goalkeepers when she collected a career-high 18 saves and turned in another brilliant shootout performance to hold off No. 2 Duke in the semifinals of the conference tournament, sending the Cardinals to their first appearance in the ACC Championship game. McFerran is also a member of the Irish National Team.
Woods, a midfielder/forward from Beverly, Mass., takes home her first All-America nod after tallying 18 points (6G, 6A) during her senior season. The three-time NFHCA All-West Region and All-ACC selection is a four-year starter and was named to the NFHCA Senior Game roster after serving as a co-captain for the Cardinals in 2017. She finishes her career ranked ninth on Louisville's all-time list for points (71) and assists (25). Woods is also a member of USA Field Hockey's women's national team.
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Stone, a junior from Herndon, Va., garners her first NFHCA All-America selection after scoring seven goals and dishing out three assists. The 2017 NFHCA All-West Region and All-ACC selection converted four of five penalty stroke attempts and scored the game-winning goal against Syracuse and North Carolina. She garnered ACC Defensive Player of the Week, NFHCA National Defensive Player of the Week and Synapse National Defensive Player of the Week for her performances. Stone is a member of USA Field Hockey's Under 21 team.
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About Louisville
The Cards finished the 2017 season with a 14-8 overall record after earning their fourth straight NCAA tournament appearance and posting a runner-up finish in the ACC championship. UofL also posted a 4-2 record in ACC play - the most wins since joining the conference in 2014 - and finished tied for second in the regular season standings. Louisville was ranked No. 8 in the final National Field Hockey Coaches' Association poll after being ranked in the top 10 for six weeks in 2017.
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"This is fantastic news for our program and these individuals," said UofL head coach Justine Sowry. "This is the first time we have had two first team and three overall All-Americans and is a testament to how far our program has come, the season that we had and of course the work that Taylor, Ayeisha and Nicole have put in. Our mentality is we all make each other better and our team has pushed these individuals to be the best that they can be. What a great reward!"
Louisville is one of six schools with three or more on the All-America teams. The Cardinals are joined by fellow ACC programs Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse as well as Michigan with three selections. National champion Connecticut led all schools with five All-Americans.
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McFerran, a junior from Larne, Northern Ireland picks up her third consecutive All-America honor, earning first-team recognition for the second straight year. The goalkeeper becomes the second three-time All-American in the history of the program, joining Jessica Javelet who achieved the accolade from 2004 through 2006.
After missing the first three games of the season due to injury, McFerran went on to post a 10-7 record and a 1.91 goals against average. During the regular season, she earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors after helping the Cardinals to a key league win in a shootout against Wake Forest. The three-time NFHCA All-West Region and All-ACC selection cemented her status as one of the nation's top goalkeepers when she collected a career-high 18 saves and turned in another brilliant shootout performance to hold off No. 2 Duke in the semifinals of the conference tournament, sending the Cardinals to their first appearance in the ACC Championship game. McFerran is also a member of the Irish National Team.
Woods, a midfielder/forward from Beverly, Mass., takes home her first All-America nod after tallying 18 points (6G, 6A) during her senior season. The three-time NFHCA All-West Region and All-ACC selection is a four-year starter and was named to the NFHCA Senior Game roster after serving as a co-captain for the Cardinals in 2017. She finishes her career ranked ninth on Louisville's all-time list for points (71) and assists (25). Woods is also a member of USA Field Hockey's women's national team.
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Stone, a junior from Herndon, Va., garners her first NFHCA All-America selection after scoring seven goals and dishing out three assists. The 2017 NFHCA All-West Region and All-ACC selection converted four of five penalty stroke attempts and scored the game-winning goal against Syracuse and North Carolina. She garnered ACC Defensive Player of the Week, NFHCA National Defensive Player of the Week and Synapse National Defensive Player of the Week for her performances. Stone is a member of USA Field Hockey's Under 21 team.
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About Louisville
The Cards finished the 2017 season with a 14-8 overall record after earning their fourth straight NCAA tournament appearance and posting a runner-up finish in the ACC championship. UofL also posted a 4-2 record in ACC play - the most wins since joining the conference in 2014 - and finished tied for second in the regular season standings. Louisville was ranked No. 8 in the final National Field Hockey Coaches' Association poll after being ranked in the top 10 for six weeks in 2017.
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Players Mentioned
FH: Justine Sowry Postgame Press Conference
Tuesday, November 04
FH: Justine Sowry on the 2025 senior class
Saturday, November 01
FH: Highlights vs No. 9 Syracuse
Saturday, November 01
FH: Highlights vs #19 Cal
Saturday, October 18
